LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino takes to the airwaves to make his case.
In an interview with ESPN's Jay Bilas, Pitino says he blames Adidas for most of what happened and that company "took my love and my passion away from me."
Pitino says he "takes ownership for who I hired and take full responsibility for that" but says there's no way he could have known one of his coaches was allegedly meeting in Las Vegas with Adidas representatives.
The coach also took issue with the Board of Trustees, saying they locked him out of his office and took action before the facts came out. Pitino's anger at the board appears to be misguided since he was an employee of the U of L Athletic Association and answered to their board.
Pitino says he pays no attention to his critics and feels "one thousand percent" he'll be cleared because "I know the truth."