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Richard Pitino on Louisville scandal: ‘It never happened’

Richard Pitino

Richard Pitino (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

AP

At Big Ten Media Day in Chicago last week, Minnesota head coach Richard Pitino spoke publicly for the first time about the scandal swirling around his father Rick’s Louisville program.

Andre McGee, a former graduate assistant and Director of Basketball Operations for Louisville, was alleged in a book to have provided strip shows and prostitutes for recruits that visited the Louisville campus. McGee worked for the Cardinals from 2010 through 2014.

“I know what my dad is all about, I know the program that he runs,” the younger Pitino told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “You’ve got to understand, he’s been doing this for 40 years — and he’s run a clean program for 40 years. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt here. … I told him, put your head on the pillow at night knowing you did nothing wrong. I know that for a fact.”

Richard was the associate head coach on his father’s staff during the 2011-12 season.

“I don’t think any staff in the country would know about that and turn a blind eye,” he said. “To me, it just, it never happened.”

“The truth will come out eventually. Everyone is kind of guessing right now, they’re all allegations.”