Pitino – From witness stand to recruiting trail
Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich knows gaudy details during the trial of a woman who tried to extort millions from Rick Pitino. It is believed that this affect some people’s perception of the highly successful coach.
On Thursday, Jurich reiterated his support for Pitino after a jury found Karen Cunagin Sypher guilty of retaliating against a witness, two counts of lying to the FBI and three counts of extortion.
During six hours of testimony, Pitino acknowledged that he had a sexual encounter with Sypher. This encounter with Sypher happened in July 2003 at a Louisville restaurant. For her silence, she demanded millions in exchange, leading Pitino to eventually tell authorities about the plot.
Jurich said, “I feel very proud in the fact that he did own up to everything. He understood the consequences taking this to the U.S. Attorney, taking this to the government. He knew his name would be dragged through the mud but he also wanted the facts out there because the only thing that would vindicate him in this case were the facts.”
Jurich added that the university would not discipline Pitino for his conduct, although he stressed on the fact that in the whole process there were no winners. At the request of university president James Ramsey, Pitino publicly apologized last summer.
After the verdict was announced, Pitino was not available for comment. He signed a four-year contract extension, which will him at Louisville through 2017.
Juror Charles Smith said that he didn’t jump into conclusions about Pitino’s character. He acknowledged that about being a Louisville fan.
Whether the trial will affect Pitino’s job performance, Jurich has no concerns. He pointed out the fact that Pitino went straight from the witness stand to the recruiting trail, which reflects his commitment towards his work.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.