The University of Louisville has issued the following press release on the suspension of head men’s basketball coach Chris Mack:
The University of Louisville announced today that Head Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mack will be suspended without pay for six games during the upcoming 2021-2022 season.
The University concluded that while Mack was a victim of an extortion attempt by former assistant coach Dino Gaudio, Mack failed to follow University guidelines, policies, and procedures in handling the matter. The sanctions imposed upon Coach Mack are unrelated to the extortion attempt itself and the ongoing NCAA process.
“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,” said U of L Vice President/Director of Athletics Vince Tyra. “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. I am grateful for the partnership and support of President Bendapudi in this matter.”
The suspension is from November 8th through November 27th and covers six non-conference games, including two games in the Bahamas. During the suspension, Coach Mack is prohibited from having any contact with the men’s basketball coaching staff or student-athletes. As the suspension is without pay, Coach Mack will forfeit approximately $221,000 in compensation.
“Our university is on a positive trajectory in so many areas and athletics is a critical component to our mission and to our engagement,” said President Neeli Bendapudi. “While Chris has done so many positive things during a challenging time for our men’s basketball program, he is held to the same standards as other U of L employees, and we believe that this suspension is commensurate with his actions—whether intentional or not.”
“I regret that any of my unintentional actions or failures to follow University guidelines have brought unnecessary attention to our outstanding athletics programs and University,” said Mack. “I understand that I could have handled matters differently and therefore I accept this suspension. While it will kill me to be away from our basketball family in November, I will do everything possible to set them up for success before and after my time away, and I am fully confident that our coaches, staff and student-athletes will rise to the occasion.”
