WON'T GO DOWN EASY

Pitino Lawyer: Expect ‘a Bare-Knuckle Fight’ If Louisville Tries to Fire Him

As ESPN reports Louisville chief told basketball staff he expects to be shown the door.

A lawyer for Rick Pitino, the University of Louisville’s head basketball coach, vowed early Wednesday that the college “won’t fire Pitino without a bare-knuckle fight” after an FBI investigation revealed a “pay-for-play” scheme luring basketball recruits to the school’s top-ranked basketball program. At the same time, ESPN reported Pitino told members of his coaching staff that he expected to lose his job over the growing scandal. “These allegations come as a complete shock to me,” Pitino himself said in a statement. “If true, I agree with the U.S. Attorney's 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. Our fans and supporters deserve better, and I am committed to taking whatever steps are needed to ensure those responsible are held accountable.” The FBI is investigating several college basketball programs, including Louisville, for bribery and corruption, and charged four assistant coaches on Tuesday.