It appears Rick Pitino found the scandal he couldn’t survive.

The Louisville coach, as well as athletic director Tom Jurich, was put on administrative leave, effective immediately, Wednesday, one day after the corruption scandal that rocked the NCAA focused intently on Louisville. Jurich’s leave is paid, Pitino’s unpaid.

Interim president of Louisville Greg Postel announced Pitino’s fate at a news conference, while Steve Spence, Pitino’s attorney, said Pitino had been “effectively fired.”

Pitino and Jurich met with Louisville officials Wednesday. According to WAVE-TV, Jurich was asked to fire Pitino and when he refused was put on leave himself.

Pitino does not appear willing to accept the decision. He put out a statement later in the day Wednesday through his attorneys that suggested legal action is forthcoming.

“The University of Louisville placed Coach Pitino on indefinite unpaid administrative leave today,” the statement read. “It did not give him prior notice of the disciplinary action or an opportunity to be heard, as required by University policy and Coach Pitino’s employment contract. Coach Pitino has, in effect, been fired. The matter will now follow its legal course.

“… The information disclosed thus far in the investigation is clearly insufficient to implicate Coach Pitino in any type of misconduct or other activity that would violate the terms of his contract. In, Coach Pitino has done nothing wrong and there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. The rush to judgement is regrettable.”

The FBI investigated corruption and bribery in college sports, arresting assistants from four programs. Louisville was spotlighted by the investigation, which found a Cardinals recruit was funneled $100,000 through Adidas to get him to commit to Louisville.

This is the scandal Pitino could not weather, after he kept the job following the NCAA proving a Louisville assistant hired escorts to strip and have sex with recruits. He also was involved in a sex scandal, when a woman with whom he was having an affair tried to blackmail him.

Pitino had been the Louisville head coach since 2001.