Governor of Kentucky hammers Rick Pitino over book claims
Disgraced Louisville coach Rick Pitino is out with a new book that seems to blame everyone but himself for his ouster at Louisville — including the Governor of Kentucky.
In “Pitino: My Story,” which the ex-coach is promoting, Pitino claims that Gov. Matt Bevin was at odds with former Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich, claiming that Bevin did not see eye-to-eye with the AD over issues relating to both the arena and the school’s Adidas contract. Pitino argues that Bevin wanted Jurich out of his role — and Pitino as well by extension, as the coach was an ally of the athletic director.
Bevin responded Wednesday in no uncertain terms.
“Here’s a guy who also excelled at many levels, both at UK and at U of L — not so much, a little bit of a sad chapter there with the Celtics — but in general a guy who has been up and down and mostly up,” Bevin told NewsRadio 840 WHAS, via Jared Peck of the Lexington Herald-Leader. “And now, he just sounds like a desperate, angry, bitter person, who wants to lay blame everywhere but at his own feet, which is where, frankly, so much of it belongs.”
Pitino was brought down by allegations of illegal payments to players, which he has denied knowing about. In general, he has cast blame elsewhere for the scandal and fallout, even though the federal indictments in the case tell a very different story than what Pitino has sold.
