Pat Kelsey issued a formal invitation for Rick Pitino to return to Louisville. In doing so, the first-year head coach ruffled some feathers amongst the college basketball community in the Derby City.
A large portion of the Cardinals’ fanbase does not want the Basketball Hall of Famer to return.
Pitino was fired by the University of Louisville in October 2017 because of his role in a large-scale recruiting scandal that rocked college basketball. An FBI investigation revealed that members of his staff were involved in a “pay for play” operation. Adidas, through one of its executives, allegedly paid $100,000 to the family of a top-ranked recruit in exchange for his commitment to the Cardinals.
This kind of behavior, which is essentially legal in the NIL era, was against NCAA rules at the time. HBO did a great job of explaining the widespread bribery scandal in its documentary ‘The Scheme.’
Even though Rick Pitino denied any knowledge of the illegal activity, Louisville immediately placed him on unpaid administrative leave when the news broke and ultimately fired him for cause. He later settled a $38.7 million lawsuit with the university, which had his termination changed from a firing to resignation. The Cardinals were also forced to vacate a large number of wins, including its 2013 national championship, as punishment for their behavior.
In addition to the FBI scandal, one of Pitino’s former staffers claimed in 2015 that the program would often purchase escorts for top recruits as an inducement. It unfortunately tarnished the legendary head coach’s reputation even though multiple investigations did not find any evidence of his involvement.
All of this goes to say that Rick Pitino is a controversial figure in Louisville. Some fans love him for what he was able to achieve during his 16 years with the program. Some fans hate him for what he left behind.
Will Rick Pitino ever return to Louisville?
Pat Kelsey doesn’t seem to care about all of the bad blood. He recently invited Pitino back to town, much like Kentucky earlier this season. A large number of fans were against the invitation.
However, his philosophy already has a bigger role in day-to-day operations than outsiders might think. Peyton Siva is on Kelsey’s staff and played for Pitino from 2009-2013. That legacy carries on!
"Coach Pitino's around here more than people think."
— BROUGHT BROHM HOME (@BringBrohmHome) January 13, 2025
—@patkelsey
Vid cred 📹: @KySportsTV#BringPitinoHome #GoCards #TheReviVILLE #DiplomatPat pic.twitter.com/KUWWRdxfgp
By all accounts, Rick Pitino has the utmost respect for Pat Kelsey. The same cannot be said for the Cardinals. He made it abundantly clear in October that he will never return to Louisville because of irreparable bad blood. Perhaps this formal invitation is the first step toward a reconciliation. Probably not.