Rick Pitino doesn’t sound too worried about the FBI’s investigation of NCAA basketball.
Ten individuals were charged last Tuesday in connection with claims that certain basketball programs were receiving bribes — namely, from Adidas — to give to top recruits in order to lure them to those colleges. It led to Louisville putting Pitino, who’s believed to be in FBI documents as “Coach-2,” on unpaid administrative leave, but the embattled Cardinals coach said he “will be vindicated.”
“Right now it’s in the lawyers’ hands,” Pitino told The Courier-Journal on Sunday in a phone interview. “I went to Miami. I’m selling my house (in Louisville). I love (interim men’s basketball coach) David Padgett. I love the boys. I hope they win the national championship. I’m not doing anything but laying low.”
Louisville’s alleged involvement deals with five-star recruit Brian Bowen, whose family the FBI says collected $100,000 from Adidas Global Marketing Director for Basketball Jim Gatto and who’s since been suspended from all team activities. Pitino allegedly facilitated the deal through three phone calls to Gatto.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images
