But Pitino could not survive allegations that, in the grand scheme of college basketball scandals, barely rise above sordid: That an executive from Adidas, which outfits the Cardinals’ athletic teams, and others conspired to steer top recruits to Louisville via six-figure payments to their families, in one instance enlisting the aid of one of Pitino’s assistants. Those allegations, unveiled Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York after a years-long undercover investigation by the FBI, proved to be Pitino’s undoing.
On Wednesday, Pitino was placed on unpaid administrative leave by Louisville after 16 seasons, three Final Four appearances and one national championship at Louisville, likely ending a career that earned him a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013. His pending departure, and the circumstances surrounding it, leaves one of the nation’s college basketball powerhouses on shaky ground only days before practice is set to begin for the 2017-18 season, one in which the Cardinals were expected to be a top 10 team.
Tom Jurich, Louisville’s athletic director since 1997, was placed on paid administrative leave. Greg Postel, the school’s interim president, said at a news conference Wednesday that both men were informed on the school’s decision on Tuesday.
Louisville is moving cautiously because of the language contained in the contracts of Pitino and Jurich. Pitino’s contract says he must be given 10 days’ written notice of his termination, which only can be decided by a vote of the Louisville athletic department’s Board of Directors, and that Pitino must be allowed to “present evidence” in his defense over that 10-day span. Depending on the cause of his dismissal, Jurich may have to be given 30 days’ notice of his dismissal, according to WRDB’s Chris Otts.
But the school’s intention is clear: Pitino is out. The coach’s attorney, Steve Pence, told the Louisville Courier-Journal ahead of the news conference that Pitino had been “effectively fired.” When asked if he was “cleaning house” at the news conference, Postel said “that’s effectively what we’re doing.” J. David Grissom, chairman of the Louisville Board of Trustees, said Wednesday the board unanimously supported Postel’s decision to take action.
Tom Jurich, Louisville’s athletic director since 1997, was placed on paid administrative leave. Greg Postel, the school’s interim president, said at a news conference Wednesday that both men were informed on the school’s decision on Tuesday.