Pitino sues Louisville for breach of contract. How much does he want?

Rick Pitino filed a breach of contract lawsuit Thursday against the University of Louisville Athletics Association seeking damages of $4,307,000 per year through 2026.

Pitino, who was fired by Louisville last month in the wake of a federal investigation into alleged corruption in college basketball, argues Louisville did not allow him due process in placing him on administrative leave and locking him out of his office and had no grounds on which to terminate his contract “for cause,” according to that contract.

In a press release announcing the lawsuit, Pitino maintains he had no knowledge of the alleged scheme to pay a recruit last summer with funds from an Adidas executive and said he implemented the actions required of him by Louisville in regard to the stripper scandal that led to sanctions against the Cardinals by the NCAA. Both controversies were cited in Pitino’s termination letter.

It has been reported that Louisville would owe Pitino about $44 million if it terminated his contract without cause. Pitino appears to be asking for about $40 million.

In a statement to the Courier Journal, Louisville spokesman John Karman said the university is aware of the suit but would not comment on pending litigation.

This story was originally published November 30, 2017 at 4:11 PM with the headline "Pitino sues Louisville for breach of contract. How much does he want?."