Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino told members of his coaching staff in a meeting this morning that he expects to be fired as soon as today. This comes on the heels of multiple arrest yesterday in a wide-ranging federal investigation into fraud and corruption in college basketball recruiting.
The FBI probe focused on coaches being paid tens of thousands of dollars to point recruits in the direction of sports agents, financial advisers, and apparel companies, including Adidas. Pitino claimed no knowledge of the scandal, but the FEDS announced yesterday that the probe was wide ranging. Yesterday the FEDS arrested and announced corruption charges against four assistant coaches: Auburn’s Chuck Person, Oklahoma State’s Lamont Evans, Arizona’s Emanuel Richardson, and USC’s Tony Bland. The FEDS hinted that there was a school in Kentucky in their sights, but didn’t specifically mention Louisville by name. Federal prosecutors also said that they have wiretaps, plants, and other sources of information. The Louisville men’s basketball team is currently on probation and Pitino is facing suspension stemming from a sex scandal investigation.
