Rick Pitino insists he had no knowledge of any fraud or corruption scheme involving the Louisville basketball program, but that does not mean the longtime coach expects to face no consequences in the wake of the allegations.
ESPN’s Michael Eaves is reporting that Pitino told members of his staff in a meeting on Wednesday that he expects to lose his job. On Tuesday, Pitino released a statement saying he was stunned to learn that Louisville is involved in a federal investigation stemming from a recruiting scandal.
“These allegations come as a complete shock to me,” Pitino said in the statement. “I agree with the U.S. Attorneys Office that these third-party schemes, initiated by a few bad actors, operated to commit a fraud on the impacted universities and their basketball programs, including the University of Louisville. Our fans and supporters deserve better and I am committed to taking whatever steps are needed to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”
Four college assistant coaches (none from Louisville) were among the 10 people arrested Tuesday for their alleged involvement in a massive bribery scheme in which Jim Gatto, director of global marketing for Adidas Basketball, paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in an attempt to funnel top recruits to Adidas-sponsored programs. While Louisville was not named specifically in the indictments, a school that meets its exact description was and the university has confirmed it is involved in the investigation.
Louisville is currently on probation and Pitino has been suspended five games in the wake of a prostitution scandal involving recruits. Even if Pitino could somehow prove he had no knowledge of a fraud scheme, there’s no way the school can justify keeping him now.
