Rick Pitino Is Suing Louisville For $38.7 Million

Rick Pitino is not going to go away quietly. The former Louisville head coach is now suing his former employer for a whopping $38.7 million.

Pitino claims the school breached his contract when it put him on administrative leave without notifying him and then firing him with cause. Pitino’s lawsuit argues Louisville had no legally justified case for terminating him with cause.

Louisville fired the 65-year-old coach on October 16 a few weeks after it placed him on leave following a federal bribery probe involving college basketball. Pitino has claimed he had no knowledge of payments to a recruit’s family.

Pitino’s lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Thursday seeks damages of $4.307 million yearly through 2026. It claims the school did not give him 10 days advance notice before it “effectively fired” him.

This could get really ugly for both parties. I don’t think Pitino or Louisville wants this to actually go to court. That would likely involve the production of evidence embarrassing to both parties. I would bet heavily on some kind of settlement between both parties after a lengthy negotiation.