Rick Pitino is in deep trouble now.
The University of Louisville Basketball program was the subject of today’s episode of Outside The Lines, as five former Cardinal players and recruits have come forward to substantiate the claims of Katrina Powell, author of the book “Breaking Cardinal Rules: Basketball and the Escort Queen.”
The book, published this month, details strip shows and sex parties that took place on campus and in hotels around the city between 2010-2014. Powell estimated that she earned $10k per show, and the strippers made “side deals” for extra money provided by then assistant coach Andre McGhee.
Via ESPN:
“I don’t know if any of this is true or not,” Pitino told ESPN’s Dana O’Neil and Yahoo! Sports in a conference call Tuesday. “There’s only one person who knows the truth, and he needs to come out and tell the truth to his teammates, to the University of Louisville, to his fans and to his coaches that have taught him to do the right thing for years and allowed him to be part of something special here.”
The NCAA will continue to investigate this situation, but they already have hard evidence connecting the coaching staff to this scandal in the forms of phone records, receipts and admission of former players. This might lead to the end of the Pitino regime at Louisville, despite his claims of ignorance. It’s extremely hard to believe that he had no knowledge of the situation. As the head of the program, he and the athletic director should be held responsible for this scandal, which took place right under their noses.
