Report: Louisville fires Pitino amid fraud, corruption investigation

Hall of Famer Rick Pitino has reportedly been fired as Louisville's head coach amid charges the Cardinals used funds to inappropriately recruit a player, according to ESPN's Mark Schlabach.

Cardinals athletic director Tom Jurich was also reportedly relieved of his duties Wednesday morning.

Ten people, including NCAA coaches and an Adidas executive, were brought up on federal fraud and corruption charges. They are alleged to have bribed athletes and their advisers to guide them toward Adidas-sponsored schools and future professional endorsement deals with the sportswear giant. Though no Louisville personnel have been arrested, the school acknowledged they were also under investigation.

In a statement released through his attorney Tuesday evening, Pitino said, "these allegations come as a complete shock to me."

Pitino's statement continues, "If true, I agree with the U.S. Attorneys Office that these third-party schemes, initiated by a few bad actors, operated to commit a fraud on the impacted universities and their basketball programs, including the University of Louisville."

The Cardinals were already under NCAA probation until June 2021 after it was revealed that former director of basketball operations Andre McGee hired prostitutes and strippers as tools to recruit talent to the program. Games featuring players who participated in these orgies were vacated, and Pitino was set to serve a five-game suspension at the beginning of the 2017-18 season.

Louisville spokesperson John Karman denied reports that Pitino and Jurich were fired, according to WDRB News' Marcus Green. In order to dismiss Pitino for just cause, the school must give him "10 days prior written notice and an opportunity to be heard," reports WHAS11's Derrick Rose, per Pitino's contract. The timing would explain why the 65-year-old basketball lifer has not been officially fired as of Wednesday.