Jurich: ‘I Was Earning Every Penny’

Former Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich claims he was deserving of the $2.76 million salary he was earning before he was fired last month.

Jurich said during a televised interview on Louisville’s ABC affiliate WHAS that he felt he was “earning every penny” of his salary. "I was trying to bring all kinds of extra revenue for this university. I always tried to be a bargain for the university."

Jurich also said that Louisville men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino’s removal might have been a long time in the making, noting that some board members “had some discomfort with him.”

Pitino was removed last month following an FBI probe into far-reaching corruption in college basketball. Jurich has maintained that he did not know of any wrongdoing on Pitino’s part, but said he would have removed the coach had he been privy to that information. "If I would have known he did something, he was guilty of something, I would have. I'd have dealt with it then," Jurich said. "But I had no evidence. I point-blank asked him if he had anything to do with this. He said absolutely not. Looked me right in the eye and said absolutely not.”

Jurich, who is rumored to be working on a book deal, was emphatic when asked whether he would try to get his old job back. "No. No,” he said. “You don't want to be somewhere you're not wanted."