Rick Pitino out at Louisville as expected amid federal probe
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Rick Pitino has been able to roam the sidelines as Louisville's iconic men's basketball coach, even defiantly at times, holding onto his job amid a series of highly embarrassing missteps off the court.
Things looked bleak this time around, with a seemingly inevitable departure looming in the weeks since the latest scandal became public. But even after the school was linked to a federal bribery investigation, no one completely counted Pitino out. Not until today.
The university had seen enough and decided to finally cut ties with the Hall of Famer.
The decision was unanimous.
Louisville's Athletic Association officially fired Pitino today, nearly three weeks after the school acknowledged the program is being investigated as part of a federal corruption probe.
The association, which oversees Louisville's sports programs and is composed of trustees, faculty, students and administrators, voted unanimously to oust the longtime Cardinals coach after a board meeting. The ULAA even heard from Pitino's attorney, who made the case his client "could not have known" about activities alleged in the federal investigation.