Yahoo Sports Rick Pitino settles with Adidas years after Louisville firing
While his lawsuit was dismissed more than a year ago, former Louisville coach Rick Pitino reached a settlement with Adidas on Monday, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
The terms of the settlement were not released, however all issues, the two sides said in a statement, have been resolved.
“Over 16 years working with Adidas, Coach Pitino demonstrated his passion for basketball and his commitment to excellence both on and off the court,” Adidas said in a statement, via the Courier Journal. “We wish Coach Pitino the best in his new role as head coach of Panathinaikos, the Greek national team and any future endeavors.”
Pitino was fired from Louisville in the wake of a massive FBI investigation revealed his involvement in a pay-for-play scheme. The Cardinals vacated their 2013 national title, 2012 Final Four apperance and 123 wins as a result. Pitino, who has long proclaimed his innocence and was never actually indicted, filed a lawsuit against Louisville in the wake of his firing. That suit was officially settled earlier this year, though Pitino didn’t receive any money.
Pitino also filed the lawsuit against Adidas just days after he was fired from Louisville, alleging that it “knowingly and recklessly caused him emotional distress when its employees conspired to bribe University of Louisville basketball recruits,” per the report.
“The lawsuit is about more than just money,” the lawsuit stated, via the Courier Journal. “It is Coach Pitino’s vehicle for proving that he had nothing to do with Adidas’ outrageous, wrongful and illegal conspiracy.”
That lawsuit, though, was dismissed and sent back to arbitration by a federal judge.
Pitino still has ties to Adidas, however, as the company sponsors Panathinaikos — the Athens-based Greek League team Pitino coaches.
The former New York Knicks and Boston Celtics coach has returned to Greece for a second season with Panathinaikos, and has agreed to coach the Greek national team as it attempts to qualify for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo next summer.
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