Jurich says he wants to continue to help U of L

After being placed on paid administrative leave, University of Louisville Athletics Director Tom Jurich signaled Wednesday afternoon that he wants to be part of the solution to the latest men’s basketball scandal.

"Disappointment does not even come close to describing my feelings surrounding the allegation that any member of the U of L basketball staff could be involved in the criminal conduct announced yesterday,” Jurich said in a statement released by an unnamed attorney, according to WDRB. “My intent has always been to run every athletic program at the university in an honest and compliant manner. It is heartbreaking to me that the alleged intentional and secret criminal acts can bring such harm to our school. I love this university, the Louisville community and all of our fans. I plan to continue to help U of L overcome the challenges it faces and work cooperatively with the university with the support of the U of L Board of Trustees following their meeting on October 19th.”

Jurich and Coach Rick Pitino were relieved of their duties Wednesday by interim university president Gregory Postel. Postel met with each briefly on Wednesday morning before announcing their suspensions in a 1 p.m. press conference. Pitino was suspended without pay, and 10 days notice must be given to him by the board of trustees before he is fired. Jurich’s contract requires 30 days notice.

Louisville found itself at the heart of a federal investigation in college basketball corruption announced at a news conference Tuesday.

This story was originally published September 27, 2017 at 4:25 PM with the headline "Jurich says he wants to continue to help U of L."