Who is Florida booster Hugh Hathcock? What we know about the man sued by Jaden Rashada along with Billy Napier

Former Arizona State quarterback Jaden Rashada has filed a lawsuit against Florida Gators head coach Billy Napier and booster Hugh Hathcock. Hathcock is a big-time booster for Florida, who reportedly met with Rashada during his visit and assured the QB that he would provide whatever he needed.

Hathcock owns the auto dealership Velocity Automotive, which has been a key booster for the Gators.

According to an article on the Gators website, Hathcock attended Florida for one semester but left to pursue his business dream. Two of his daughters then attended the university, and he has been donating money to the school for as long as he can remember.

"Even when I was in my 20s, just starting to make money, I was still a season-ticket holder,'' Hathcock said. "When they did the Touchdown Terrace, I was one of the first ones to [contribute]. You are not able to really do the things you want to do until you hit it big. They knew me back when my companies were just small companies."

He created his own company, Fresh Beginning in the mid-1980s, which he ended up selling to CDK Global for $550 million in 2019.

After selling his company, he launched his new company, Velocity Automotive in 2020 and he is now using his fortune to be a booster for the Gators sporting teams with NIL money.

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Why is Hugh Hathcock getting sued?

Hugh Hathcock is part of the lawsuit due to failing to pay Jaden Rasahda.

After Rashada agreed to a $9.5 million NIL deal with Miami, Florida came in with a $13.5 million offer, which was spread over four years. According to ESPN, the contract was $5.35 million from Hathcock -- including a $500,000 "signing bonus" through Velocity Automotive -- and the remainder paid through Hathcock's NIL collective Gator Guard, as reported by ESPN.

However, according to the lawsuit, Rashada received only $150,000 from Hathcock, which the QB had to give back to a Miami booster due to him flipping his commitment.

"Once Jaden committed to UF, rather than make Jaden 'rich' as promised, these people -- with Hathcock leading the charge -- changed their tune and went back on their word. The amount of UF-affiliated NIL money available for Jaden decreased drastically," the lawsuit states, via ESPN.

The lawsuit claims that head coach Billy Napier and Hugh Hathcock knew they "lacked both the intention and the ability to fulfill" the deal promised to Rashada.

Hathcock has not yet commented on the lawsuit.