Louisville athletic board votes to dismiss Rick Pitino

The University of Louisville Athletic Association’s board voted unanimously on Monday to terminate coach Rick Pitino’s contract ‘for cause’ amidst the ongoing FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball.

‘The motion was short and simple,’ university interim president Greg Postel said in a news conference after the meeting, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. ‘The board requested of me and authorized me to initiate the process of termination for cause as defined in Coach Pitino’s employment contact.’

Being fired ‘for cause’ is significant because it could save the school from paying Pitino’s $44 million buyout.

Earlier on Monday, Pitino’s attorney Steve Pence served the school with a notice alleging that Louisville did not give Pitino a chance to respond when he was placed on unpaid leave last week, according to WDRB.com.

Pitino’s contact required the school to give 10 days advanced noticed of his firing and give the long-time coach an opportunity to present evidence in his own defense.

University of Louisville interim President Greg Postel, center, walks with interim coach David Padgett (right), who previously played for Pitino before serving as an assistant on his staff 

The New York native and former NBA coach was placed on unpaid administrative leave last week after he was implicated in an alleged scheme to bribe the family of an elite recruit with $100,000 in funding provided by an Adidas executive, Jim Gatto, who was arrested as part of the FBI’s investigation. Gatto was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, two counts of wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy.

Pitino has not been charged by the FBI or Department of Justice, but he is alleged to be the ‘Coach-2,’ who, according to the court documents, helped facilitate the Adidas payments and knew about aspects of the criminal conspiracy.

In a conversation with the Courier-Journal, Pitino – who has been replaced by a former player, interim coach David Padgett – maintained his innocence and claimed he ‘will be vindicated.’

Padgett (left) has been on Pitino’s staff since 2015. He previously played for Pitino at U of L

‘Right now it’s in the lawyers’ hands,’ Pitino said. ‘I went to Miami. I’m selling my house [in Louisville]. I love David Padgett. I love the boys. I hope they win the national championship. I’m not doing anything but laying low.’

According to acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan Joon H. Kim, the investigation was launched in 2015 and focuses on ‘the criminal influence of money on coaches and student-athletes who participate in intercollegiate basketball governed by the N.C.A.A.’

Specifically, the FBI is investigating two schemes: one in which recruits and their families were paid to go to particular universities and another in which player advisors were paid to persuade those players to sign with certain managers, agents, and financial advisors.

Gatto and his fellow defendants are accused of funneling $100,000 to the family of a recruit in order to persuade that player to attend a school in Kentucky. That school was not named, but Louisville did sign a $160 million deal with Adidas in August and the school has since acknowledged it received notice that it is included in the federal investigation.

Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich, who is currently on paid leave, cuts down a piece of the net as he celebrates the school’s 82-76 win over Michigan in the 2013 NCAA title game

That apparel deal has put Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich under suspicion.

In a letter released Monday, Postel said the school would re-evaluate the deal with Adidas, and he went on to criticize Jurich, who is currently on paid leave.

‘In addition, as we’ve discussed, your recent negotiation of the terms of the updated sponsorship deal with Adidas was conducted without timely or appropriate consultation with me or members of the Board of Directors of the University of Louisville Athletics Association,’ Postel wrote, adding, ‘It would have been nice to know more about the [Adidas] agreement.’

Jurich’s daughter was hired by Adidas earlier this year, prior to the negotiation of the new contract with Louisville, according to ESPN.

Jurich has not been terminated as of yet and could ultimately keep his job, but Postel does plan on naming an interim replacement on Tuesday. 

No player is named in the FBI’s court documents. However, according to multiple reports, the recruit that received the $100,000 bribe was five-star prospect Brian Bowen, an All-American from Indiana who chose Louisville over other national powerhouse programs such as Michigan State, Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon. 

Bowen, a freshman, has since been suspended indefinitely by the school and has retained Miami attorney Jason Setchen in an effort to gain reinstatement, according to the Courier-Journal.

Brian Bowen (left after committing to Louisville and right playing at La Lumiere School in Indiana) is reportedly the recruit whose family received a $100,000 bribe

Pitino was one of the highest paid basketball coaches in the world with an annual salary of $7.7 million. However, he was already facing a five-game suspension after it was revealed that strippers were provided to basketball recruits by basketball operations director Andre McGee. Louisville is appealing the decision, but the school may ultimately be forced to vacate dozens of wins and the team’s 2013 national championship if the NCAA’s ruling is not overturned.

In the meantime, Louisville has already lost a pair of recruits to the scandal. High school seniors Anfernee Simons and Courtney Ramey both decommitted to Louisville last week.

Interim president Greg Postel took aim at Jurich’s decision to sign a new deal with Adidas

Pitino has not been charged by the FBI, but Postel still found that ‘[t]hese matters constitute material violations of your Employment Contract’