Pitino firing made official

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville’s Athletic Association has officially fired coach Rick Pitino nearly three weeks after the school acknowledged that its men’s basketball 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 Cardinals coach following a board meeting Monday. The ULAA heard from Pitino’s attorney, who made the case that his client “could not have known” about activities alleged in the federal investigation.

Not long after Steve Pence’s 45-minute address to the ULAA on Pitino’s behalf, the association announced its decision after five hours of meetings. Pitino has $44 million remaining in salary and bonuses in a contract extension through the 2025-26 season. He was scheduled to earn a base salary of $5.1 million.

“We listened carefully to what they said, we read carefully everything they gave us,” university interim President Greg Postel said of the legal team’s presentation. “At the end of the conversation we felt that our initial decision to begin the process of termination for cause was still in the best interests of the university.”

The association authorized Postel to begin the process of firing Pitino for cause Oct. 2 after Postel placed the coach on unpaid administrative leave Sept. 27.

The move Monday officially ends Pitino’s 16-year tenure with the program, a run that included a 416-143 record and the 2013 NCAA championship but was tarnished by several embarrassing off-court incidents.

Pitino, 65, is not named in court complaints in the federal probe but Postel said in a disciplinary letter that the allegations violated his contract. Ten people that have been arrested in the corruption case, including four college assistant coaches and an Adidas executive.