Another controversy for Louisville coach Rick Pitino

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY Sports

Louisville coach Rick Pitino channeled his inner Grinch a day after Christmas, skipping a postgame news conference after a 75-73 loss to archrival Kentucky on Saturday.

He also responded to heckling fans with a gesture that brought much debate online.

Pitino sent Louisville associate head coach Ralph Willard to the postgame news conference and did not speak publicly after the loss.

However, the 63-year old Hall of Fame coach told ESPN.com regarding the gesture: "No I didn't flip off the fans. I was in the tunnel. People were yelling ugly, crude things that I didn't like. The 1-8 comment (Pitino's record against John Calipari in the UK-UL rivalry) was fine. But the other comments I didn't like."

Kentucky stormed back from a 16-point deficit to beat the Cardinals in a rivalry tilt that saw both Pitino and Calipari get technical fouls. Louisville has not won in Lexington since 2008.

I got Rick flipping off UK fans on video 😂 @KySportsRadio pic.twitter.com/VPgUbRGM9H — Seiver Tandy (@Fine_and_Tandy) December 26, 2015

This is the latest controversy for a program that's had a dark cloud over it since the beginning of the season with several allegations dominating the Cardinals' preseason spotlight.

Self-described former escort Katina Powell claimed in her book that former Louisville staffer Andre McGee paid her $10,000 to hire dancers to strip and have sex with Louisville players.

As a result of the scandals, Pitino, who denied any knowledge of the activities Powell alleges in her book, has been speaking less to the media this season than any other — he had Willard speak in other postgame news conferences this season, including the Cardinals' other loss against Michigan State.

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