Kent, Wash. ? Fired Washington football coach Rick Neuheisel left a courtroom Monday with a $4.5 million settlement in his lawsuit against the NCAA and university, claiming victory in his 21-month legal battle.

“I feel fully vindicated,” Neuheisel said. “Obviously, they’re going to have their stories, too, but I feel like this is the best scenario. Nobody’s nose gets bloodied.”

The settlement was announced by Superior court judge Michael Spearman after five weeks of testimony, just as jurors were set to hear closing statements.

It capped a fight that started with Neuheisel’s firing in June 2003 and publicly exposed the NCAA and university to embarrassing administrative gaffes. Washington’s football program has flopped since the scandal. The Huskies went 1-10 last year.

“I’m elated that it’s over. It’s been 21 months and it’s been hard,” said Neuheisel, who signed autographs for jurors after the trial.

Neuheisel will receive cash payments of $2.5 million from the NCAA and $500,000 from the university. The university agreed not to seek repayment of a $1.5 million loan.

Neuheisel, now the quarterbacks coach for Baltimore’s Ravens, had accused the school of wrongfully terminating his contract and the NCAA of encouraging administrators to fire him.

The university argued he had signed a contract that allowed for his firing for acts of dishonesty. School officials have said Neuheisel was fired for gambling on an NCAA basketball pool and failing to be forthright about it with investigators.

In a statement Monday, the university said it agreed to settle because a mistrial could be declared.

NCAA president Myles Brand said he believed the association acted properly. University lawyer Lou Peterson said Washington administrators agreed to the settlement because the school “could settle for less than 10 percent of the amount sought.”