You mean his cheating ways, acquiring 3 and 4 star athletes? UofL's best recruiting year ever was ranked #25 in the country. Petrino's last year's ranking was #35. His 2004 class which produced 13 NFL players and was ranked as #9 in the post-dated ranks following their matriculation, came in at a rosy old #57th when they signed.
Strong graduated 94 of his 97 recruits. In 2014 UofL and Stanford were the only two universities with perfect APR's.
You will diss the university's academics as is your wont, of course. Louisville made the move from a community-based university to the more exotic climes 20 years ago and the typical ACT score has also increased to 26, up from 22. UConn's is a very impressive 30, which ranks them in the top ten percentile. But it is also obvious that Louisville has made enormous progress, even if some fans object to ignoring the locals as an urban university. Both are worthy ideals.
The only thing I will say about the overall scandals is that I have conspiratorial sensations about it all. The huge negativity UofL provides to the Flagship state school, passing them up in so many sports and transforming the campus itself into a more lovely campus, the incredible alumni fan base who just recently funded the $55 Million football stadium expansion with another 10,000 seats was done with zero contributions from the state. This enviable situation drives them wild.
Hiring an award winning author to address what began as parties for players by a furtive little POS assistant, involving a total expenditure whose high side is 5K over 5 years, is the sum of a scandal which eventually became such a cause celebre' in Connecticut @ ESPN headquarters, to say nothing of the ABC hook up with The View, lol and lovely Katrina's world tour, her new Escalade and the daughter who was arrested last month for hooking. I understand we have almost always taken a chip on the shoulder routine in getting ourselves established in sports other than hoops and I imagine our various opponents don't much care for that. In a sense, almost all of this can be expected under the current circumstances. Pitino was undone by assistants, which is downright odd seeing as how he is the cosmic cradle of some 30 successful college head coaches and 5 NBA coaches over time. He won a championship with a 2 star All American, some transfers, a 5' 10" football player, a center Goodman laughed at Louisville for for caring that he became eligible, and a couple of legit 5 stars, one of whom landed on our doorstep as completely damaged goods. That he would consider finally buckling under and acquiring players like this is beyond my realm of comprehension. With the team he had coming back he is a title contender. They will be extremely good this season, led by 2 locals, an Egyptian, a potential all american Sudanese and the usual 20-50-ranked prospects and one project - business as usual. I understand why he was let go, not that I necessarily agree with that because of the quaint subject of due process. But the fans don't want him either now.
No one has ever done what Jurich has done at Louisville. Not anywhere at any time. He is responsible for billions of dollars to come. The "shenanigans" in his contract - like those of Pitino's - all result in methods of payment. Jurich;s salary ends up being $2.8 million a year, with the big number added which was a 12 year old matured annuity. The fact that Calipari makes more than both of them out together is somehow left out, although he is paid in the exact same manner and in the same state. The entire mess right now is in a dysfunctional BOTrustees who are led by a careerist with no vision or care of what is best for UofL and a sychophant who wants the President job so bad he can taste it.
