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Rick Pitino has been fired as the head coach of Louisville’s men’s basketball team.
ESPN reports that Athletic director Tom Jurich was also fired after the program was linked to a federal investigation into fraud and corruption in recruiting. According to sources, former Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich was asked to fire Rick Pitino, he refused, and then both were fired.
On Wednesday morning, both Pitino and Jurich met with Louisville interim president Greg Postel. After the meetings, Postel informed reporters that the school would hold a news conference at 1 PM and stated that Pitino and Jurich would not attend.
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On Tuesday, September 26, federal prosecutors announced fraud and corruption charges in college basketball, including against 4 coaches.
The coaches who have been arrested are Auburn assistant Chuck Person, Oklahoma State assistant Lamont Evans, Arizona assistant Emanuel Richardson and USC assistant Tony Bland. They were four of ten people charged in New York City federal court. Furthermore, the U.S. DOJ announced that those charged include “managers, financial advisors, and representatives of a major international sportswear company.”
The documents said that the investigation revealed numerous instances of bribes paid by athlete advisers, including financial advisers and associate basketball coaches, to assistant and associate basketball coaches to exert influence over student-athletes.
In the investigation documents, the FBI released evidence that a Louisville assistant coach planned to send $100,000 to the father of an All-American recruit, who is believed to be freshman forward Brian Bowen.
