Seven key points from a sitdown with former Louisville AD Tom Jurich
Tim Sullivan, Courier JournalPublished 1:45 p.m. ET June 7, 2018
Tom Jurich talks with Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan on Rick Pitino and loyalty in a sit-down interview. June 7, 2018Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
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Nearly seven months since his firing, Tom Jurich still speaks of the University of Louisville with personal pronouns: "we" and "our."
Thursday, in his first post-settlement interviews with local media, Jurich took pains to express gratitude and to avoid any appearance of bitterness. (Heeding the terms of his settlement with the university, Jurich declined to discuss the process that resulted in his termination being reclassified as a "retirement.")
"The fan base really built this program," he said. "I look back 20 years and we were almost out of Conference USA. To be where we are today is because of the generosity and support of these fans."
Related: University of Louisville's mistakes add up in Tom Jurich settlement
Interview highlights
► On the state of Louisville athletics: "I've always said I would never trade this slate of coaches for any in the country. Now, you don't have to worry about losing them because you're at a destination job. They're all making top salaries in their profession, all in the best conference in the country. It's a phenomenal situation for everybody."
Tom Jurich talks with Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan on his relationship with the people of Louisville. June 7, 2018 Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
► On contact with Rick Pitino: "I haven't had any (because of legal advice). I'm still very fond of him, have no issues."
► Was his loyalty to Pitino instrumental in his own downfall: "It could be. I've said numerous times if loyalty was my fault, I can live with that. ... That's how I was brought up. If my father could rise from the grave, the first thing he'd tell me is to stay true to yourself and loyalty was a big part of it.
"(But) That shouldn't be confused with blindness or naivete. If I saw something happening and I knew it was happening and I knew what the facts were, I'd deal with in a second. All of my coaches, all my administrators and all of our student-athletes knew that."
See also: Attorneys: Louisville smeared Rick Pitino and Tom Jurich to save money
Tom Jurich talks with Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan on Rick Pitino and loyalty in a sit-down interview. June 7, 2018 Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
► On Louisville retaining baseball coach Dan McDonnell: "I don't think he ever entertained leaving. To me, that's a non-story. Dan's at the top of the profession. I've always wanted to hire coaches who would be No. 1 on anyone else's list. The only school I was ever afraid of losing Dan to was Texas. That was the one that was the big fish in the pond.
"Dan's a fixture here. He's built his own legacy. He deserves all the accolades he gets. He's that good."
► On the second stint of football coach Bobby Petrino: "We certainly all grow up, there's no question. I think the thing that Bobby's done is Bobby's really learned to smell the roses. And by that, he's really learned to enjoy everything about the community. He is the right guy to take us in the ACC.
"I don't think people realize or give him enough credit for what he does for the community. But his heart is here. And I think he's just been terrific."
From May: Louisville reaches settlement with fired athletic director Tom Jurich
Tom Jurich talks to Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan about taking a chance on Bobby Petrino and rehiring him. June 7, 2018 Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
► On making peace with University of Louisville: "I wouldn't say I'm not at peace. I'm just not giving it a lot of thought. I'm really not. I'm just looking forward to the next chapter. I've always tried to be a visionary. So now I need to be a visionary for my own life. Before it was about departments. Now, I need to do it for me and my family."
► On his future (and possibly as a candidate at the University of South Florida):"I'm never going to say never to anything, but we really haven't given much thought to anything. We love the Tampa area. That's probably where we're going to settle down regardless with what we do in our career, cause we love the beach and we want to keep that place (a condominium in Clearwater Beach)."
With South Florida looking for an athletic director, and former Louisville coach Charlie Strong running the school's football program, Jurich's search for Tampa real estate is unlikely to squelch speculation along those lines.
"I'm not adding to (the speculation)," Jurich said. "I'm not talking to anybody. ... We really haven't made our next plans. We're listening, talking to people (about) a lot of things – things that are off the charts, things that are on the charts. But it's fun to kind of recreate yourself, reinvent yourself, look at a new chapter.
"We might choose to do nothing. That might be one of the alternatives, too, just enjoy the grandkids. But we have a lot left in this tank."
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Former U of L Athletic Director Tom Jurich, left, talked with Courier Journal’s Tim Sullivan about a host of issues related to his tenure and ouster at the university. June 7, 2018 (Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal)
Tim Sullivan, Courier JournalPublished 1:45 p.m. ET June 7, 2018
Tom Jurich talks with Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan on Rick Pitino and loyalty in a sit-down interview. June 7, 2018Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
TWEETLINKEDINCOMMENTEMAILMORE
Nearly seven months since his firing, Tom Jurich still speaks of the University of Louisville with personal pronouns: "we" and "our."
Thursday, in his first post-settlement interviews with local media, Jurich took pains to express gratitude and to avoid any appearance of bitterness. (Heeding the terms of his settlement with the university, Jurich declined to discuss the process that resulted in his termination being reclassified as a "retirement.")
"The fan base really built this program," he said. "I look back 20 years and we were almost out of Conference USA. To be where we are today is because of the generosity and support of these fans."
Related: University of Louisville's mistakes add up in Tom Jurich settlement
Interview highlights
► On the state of Louisville athletics: "I've always said I would never trade this slate of coaches for any in the country. Now, you don't have to worry about losing them because you're at a destination job. They're all making top salaries in their profession, all in the best conference in the country. It's a phenomenal situation for everybody."
Tom Jurich talks with Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan on his relationship with the people of Louisville. June 7, 2018 Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
► On contact with Rick Pitino: "I haven't had any (because of legal advice). I'm still very fond of him, have no issues."
► Was his loyalty to Pitino instrumental in his own downfall: "It could be. I've said numerous times if loyalty was my fault, I can live with that. ... That's how I was brought up. If my father could rise from the grave, the first thing he'd tell me is to stay true to yourself and loyalty was a big part of it.
"(But) That shouldn't be confused with blindness or naivete. If I saw something happening and I knew it was happening and I knew what the facts were, I'd deal with in a second. All of my coaches, all my administrators and all of our student-athletes knew that."
See also: Attorneys: Louisville smeared Rick Pitino and Tom Jurich to save money
Tom Jurich talks with Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan on Rick Pitino and loyalty in a sit-down interview. June 7, 2018 Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
► On Louisville retaining baseball coach Dan McDonnell: "I don't think he ever entertained leaving. To me, that's a non-story. Dan's at the top of the profession. I've always wanted to hire coaches who would be No. 1 on anyone else's list. The only school I was ever afraid of losing Dan to was Texas. That was the one that was the big fish in the pond.
"Dan's a fixture here. He's built his own legacy. He deserves all the accolades he gets. He's that good."
► On the second stint of football coach Bobby Petrino: "We certainly all grow up, there's no question. I think the thing that Bobby's done is Bobby's really learned to smell the roses. And by that, he's really learned to enjoy everything about the community. He is the right guy to take us in the ACC.
"I don't think people realize or give him enough credit for what he does for the community. But his heart is here. And I think he's just been terrific."
From May: Louisville reaches settlement with fired athletic director Tom Jurich
Tom Jurich talks to Courier Journal's Tim Sullivan about taking a chance on Bobby Petrino and rehiring him. June 7, 2018 Sam Upshaw, Louisville Courier Journal
► On making peace with University of Louisville: "I wouldn't say I'm not at peace. I'm just not giving it a lot of thought. I'm really not. I'm just looking forward to the next chapter. I've always tried to be a visionary. So now I need to be a visionary for my own life. Before it was about departments. Now, I need to do it for me and my family."
► On his future (and possibly as a candidate at the University of South Florida):"I'm never going to say never to anything, but we really haven't given much thought to anything. We love the Tampa area. That's probably where we're going to settle down regardless with what we do in our career, cause we love the beach and we want to keep that place (a condominium in Clearwater Beach)."
With South Florida looking for an athletic director, and former Louisville coach Charlie Strong running the school's football program, Jurich's search for Tampa real estate is unlikely to squelch speculation along those lines.
"I'm not adding to (the speculation)," Jurich said. "I'm not talking to anybody. ... We really haven't made our next plans. We're listening, talking to people (about) a lot of things – things that are off the charts, things that are on the charts. But it's fun to kind of recreate yourself, reinvent yourself, look at a new chapter.
"We might choose to do nothing. That might be one of the alternatives, too, just enjoy the grandkids. But we have a lot left in this tank."
Former U of L Athletic Director Tom Jurich, left, talked with Courier Journal’s Tim Sullivan about a host of issues related to his tenure and ouster at the university. June 7, 2018 (Photo: Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal)
