Louisville Cardinals head men's basketball coach Chris Mack, shown Dec. 14, 2019, will miss six non-conference games, including two in the Bahamas, due to the suspension. File Photo by John Sommers II/UPI |
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Aug. 27 (UPI) -- The University of Louisville suspended men's basketball coach Chris Mack for six games Friday after determining that he failed to follow school guidelines and procedures while being extorted by a former assistant coach.
Louisville said in a statement that Mack will be suspended without pay from Nov. 8 through Nov. 27, meaning he will miss six non-conference games -- including two in the Bahamas. During the six-game suspension, he will be banned from having contact with players and coaches.
Mack will forfeit about $221,000 in compensation, according to the school.
"As I have said since the beginning of my tenure, we have high expectations for all of our staff members and coaches and we hold people accountable for their actions," Louisville athletic director Vince Tyra said.
"While we have made great strides over the last four years in changing the culture in our department of athletics, we cannot afford to have any setbacks, no matter how big or small, in our pursuits. I am confident that coach Mack now understands the impact of his actions. We all have confidence in him moving forward."
In May, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky charged former Louisville men's college basketball assistant Dino Gaudio with one federal count of attempting to extort money and other items of value from the university.
Gaudio, during an in-person meeting with university officials in mid-March, threatened to reveal to the media allegations that the University of Louisville men's basketball program had violated NCAA rules unless the school paid his salary for an additional 17 months or provided the lump sump equivalent of 17 months of salary.
On June 4, the 64-year-old Gaudio pleaded guilty to a charge of interstate communication with intent to extort. As part of a plea deal with prosecutors, he was sentenced Friday to one year of probation and received a $10,000 fine.
