Suspended Louisville Coach Rick Pitino Believes He "Will Be Vindicated"
Suspended Louisville head coach Rick Pitino believes that he "will be vindicated" after an FBI investigation into wire fraud and money laundering in college basketball recruiting involved the Cardinals. Pitino spoke briefly with the Courier-Journal's Jeff Greer.
"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."
Pitino says he informed players of the decision by Louisville interim president Greg Postel to place him on administrative leave and then came back to see workers "getting ready to change locks" on the entrance to his office.
Last week, it was revealed that Pitino was allegedly Coach 2 in a recruiting sting operation. The Justice Department complaint says that sports agent Christian Dawkins alleges Pitino personally called Adidas executive James Gatto to pay more money to ensure high school All American Brian Bowen didn't go to another school with a rival athletic apparel company. Gatto agreed to pay Bowen's family $100.000 in multiple installments.
• The 10 Most Pressing Questions About the College Basketball Recruiting Scandal
Dawkins was among the people arrested this week. Gatto was placed on administrative leave as the company investigates the allegations.
Pitino was asked whether he is Coach 2 by the Courier-Journal and he said it ""doesn't matter if I am or not."
Pitino has $42 million remaining on his contract. He has not been in contact with acting head coach David Padgett or any of his assistants since Wednesday. An interim athletics director is expected to be appointed soon and could determine the future of assistant coaches Jordan Fair and Kenny Johnson.
