The long legal battle over the termination of former Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has finally come to a quiet close.
According to WDRB.com, the University of Louisville will pay Pitino nothing, but the coach’s personnel file will be amended to say he resigned his position, which he was offered after Louisville’s involvement in a college basketball corruption scandal was revealed by the FBI in 2017.
Following his dismissal, Pitino sued U of L for the remainder of his contract, which amounted to $44 million. However, this week marked the conclusion of the drawn out legal battle at a settlement conference, where both sides agreed to pay their own legal fees and part ways.
The school had argued that Pitino was responsible for the charges brought by the FBI and that this responsibility created a breach of contract.
The two parties released the following joint statement announcing the agreement:
"For 17 years, Coach Pitino ran a program that combined excellence on the court with a commitment to the program’s student athletes, their academic achievement, and their futures in and out of basketball. Nevertheless, there were NCAA infractions during his term which led to serious consequences for the University. Although these infractions may not have occurred at Coach Pitino’s direction or with his knowledge, the problems leading to the NCAA infractions happened under his leadership. We thank Coach Pitino for his years of service to the University of Louisville basketball program and wish him well. Coach Pitino and the University of Louisville have mutually agreed to dismiss their legal claims against each other, designate his departure as a resignation, and move forward.”
Pitino’s attorney released the following statement on Pitino’s behalf:
"Today I move on to a new chapter in my life. Against my lawyer’s advice I’m dropping my lawsuit with ULAA. I am very proud of the many accomplishments my teams achieved at Louisville. I’m so thankful and honored to coach such dedicated athletes.
I’m also disappointed in how it ended. But as head coach I am held responsible for the actions of all team members.
I still have so much passion for the game and so many goals I want to achieve. From this day forward I start my climb.”
