Louisville suspend Chris Mack six games for role in extortion case

[Heisenberg]

Incredible that all the crazy sh!t happens to coaches at 'ville.  Does anyone remember Porcini and the recruiting scandals?

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32096612/louisville-cardinals-suspend-men-basketball-coach-chris-mack-six-games-role-extortion-case

In May, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky charged former basketball assistant Dino Gaudio with one federal count of attempting to extort money and other things of value from the university.

According to the charge, Gaudio, during an in-person meeting with Louisville officials on March 17, "threatened to report to the media allegations that the University of Louisville men's basketball program had violated [NCAA] rules in its production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes and its use of graduate assistants in practice, unless the University of Louisville paid [Gaudio] his salary for an additional 17 months or provided the lump sum equivalent of 17 months of salary."

Later that day, according to the charge, Gaudio "sent a text message to the University of Louisville personnel containing one of the recruiting videos he was threatening to send to the media." The text message traveled outside Kentucky, according to the government.

On June 4, Gaudio, 64, 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 a $10,000 fine.

"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," Mack said in a statement. "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."

[The Sultan]

Incredible that all the crazy sh!t happens to coaches at 'ville.  Does anyone remember Porcini and the recruiting scandals?

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32096612/louisville-cardinals-suspend-men-basketball-coach-chris-mack-six-games-role-extortion-case

In May, the acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky charged former basketball assistant Dino Gaudio with one federal count of attempting to extort money and other things of value from the university.

According to the charge, Gaudio, during an in-person meeting with Louisville officials on March 17, "threatened to report to the media allegations that the University of Louisville men's basketball program had violated [NCAA] rules in its production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes and its use of graduate assistants in practice, unless the University of Louisville paid [Gaudio] his salary for an additional 17 months or provided the lump sum equivalent of 17 months of salary."

Later that day, according to the charge, Gaudio "sent a text message to the University of Louisville personnel containing one of the recruiting videos he was threatening to send to the media." The text message traveled outside Kentucky, according to the government.

On June 4, Gaudio, 64, 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 a $10,000 fine.

"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," Mack said in a statement. "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."

Does anyone remember Porcinis?  Have you not been paying attention?  It's still worth a couple bad 4ever jokes a year.

[mileskishnish72]

Six games? In the preseason? Oh, talk about Draconian measures!

[dgies9156]

Six games? In the preseason? Oh, talk about Draconian measures!

I'm surprised Murray State didn't get the death penalty.

[WhiteTrash]

I may have missed it in the story but what did Mack do or not do?

[Heisenberg]

Does anyone remember Porcinis?  Have you not been paying attention?  It's still worth a couple bad 4ever jokes a year.

Don't forget that 'Ville was also caught paying for two hookers for recruits.  One for the recruit and another for the dad.

Also, they were wrapped up in the FBI scandal about paying for recruits.

The bottom line, it is not a real basketball scandal unless 'Ville is in the middle of it.  And if you have a scandal, not including 'Ville, you're not looking hard enough.

[Uncle Rico]

Don't forget that 'Ville was also caught paying for two hookers for recruits.  One for the recruit and another for the dad.

Also, they were wrapped up in the FBI scandal about paying for recruits.

The bottom line, it is not a real basketball scandal unless 'Ville is in the middle of it.  And if you have a scandal, not including 'Ville, you're not looking hard enough.

I bet Louisville will continue to win a lot of basketball games

[WhiteTrash]

Hate to state the obvious but it pays to cheat. I respect Nova and Gonzaga more everyday.

[Uncle Rico]

Hate to state the obvious but it pays to cheat. I respect Nova and Gonzaga more everyday.

Eh, don't be so sure about those places being squeaky clean

[The Sultan]

Yeah I find myself caring less and less about recruiting violations. 

[BallBoy]

I may have missed it in the story but what did Mack do or not do?

Probably doing the things Dino was extorting them for and having it become public.

[WhiteTrash]

Eh, don't be so sure about those places being squeaky clean

Well, do tell. We're all ears.

[Uncle Rico]

Well, do tell. We're all ears.

I don't believe any high level basketball programs are clean.  Some are "dirtier" than others. 

[Mu8891]

So ... Rico ...  are y saying

Marquette is not " clean " ??

[mileskishnish72]

So ... Rico ...  are y saying

Marquette is not " clean " ??

He said "high level." Sadly, that's not us lately.

[NCMUFan]

Somehow I am still glad Marquette is not the Louisville program.
But I am sure, there are those whose philosophy is win at all costs.
Maybe I just like to stand on my moral and ethical soap box.

[The Sultan]

Somehow I am still glad Marquette is not the Louisville program.
But I am sure, there are those whose philosophy is win at all costs.
Maybe I just like to stand on my moral and ethical soap box.

The question isn't one of absolutes.  Is a program "clean" or is it "dirty."  The question is how dirty is a program.  I don' believe Marquette pays players.  Marquette doesn't have sham classes.  But I have heard enough stories to know that Marquette basketball players have received some benefit that may violate some NCAA rule somewhere, but in the grand scheme of things isn't a big deal.

[Skip Intro]

Probably doing the things Dino was extorting them for and having it become public.

Yeah, this definitely feels like a case of pleading guilty to lesser charges. 

Dino's dirt wasn't made up, he just tried to use it for his own monetary gain rather than taking it public as a way to embarrass the team.  It backfired on him big-time, and gave UL a way to paint themselves as victims to the outside world.  That being said, there's no way Mack gets suspended 6 games if the accusations weren't true and this was just for "not reporting attempted extortion through the appropriate channels". 

[The Equalizer]

The interesting thing here is that the Mack/Gaudio relationship goes back 30 years to when Mack was a player and Gaudio an assistant at Xavier. They spent a decent amount of time together as assistants under Skip Prosser at both Xavier and Wake Forest.

The transcript is something else. I don't get the impression that Mack is dirty so much as clueless.
https://www.cardchronicle.com/2021/8/27/22645030/transcript-audio-chris-mack-dino-gaudio-conversation

[rocket surgeon]

speaking of coaches infractions-looks like mark few had a few too many over the weekend-pulled over for DUI

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32166753/gonzaga-coach-mark-cited-idaho-driving-drunk

[WhiteTrash]

speaking of coaches infractions-looks like mark few had a few too many over the weekend-pulled over for DUI

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32166753/gonzaga-coach-mark-cited-idaho-driving-drunk

Sad story for one of the good guys in the sport we love. 

[tower912]

I predict Few will own up, take his punishment, forfeit some salary, go through some processes, and remain coach at Gonzaga.   

[naginiF]

I predict Few will own up, take his punishment, forfeit some salary, go through some processes, and remain coach at Gonzaga.

Step 1 of 'The Tower Prophecies', owning up:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/pk1nmw/statement_from_mark_few/

[The Equalizer]

I predict Few will own up, take his punishment, forfeit some salary, go through some processes, and remain coach at Gonzaga.

Depends on if Nancy Zimpher (or someone like her) is running Gonzaga these days.

[Uncle Rico]

Mark Few wins basketball games.  He ain't going nowhere