By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Rick Pitino reached an agreement with Louisville and both sides dropped their lawsuits, the school announced on Wednesday. The former head coach of Panathinaikos OPAP will receive no money, but his personnel file will now reflect that his employment ended in 2017 as a result of a resignation.
The 67-year-old American initially sued Louisville for breach of contract and was seeking more than $35 million. ULAA counter-suited pursuing damages allegedly caused by its former head coach.
“Today, I move on to a new chapter in my life,” mentioned Pitino in a statement released by his lawyer, “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,” he added, “From this day forward, I start my climb.”
In a joint statement, the school and Pitino note: “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” the statement reads, “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.”