Louisville Board of Trustees votes to fire athletic director Tom Jurich with cause

By a vote of 10-3, the University of Louisville Board of Trustees voted Wednesday to fire athletic director Tom Jurich with cause. The board did not answer questions from the media about the vote.

Jurich took over as Louisville’s athletic director on October 21, 1997. In the two decades that transpired since, Jurich oversaw an unprecedented period of success for U of L athletics, one that included the meteoric rise of the football, baseball and women’s basketball programs, a national championship in men’s basketball, and a move to the Atlantic Coast Conference.

When Louisville was officially announced as the new 15th member of the ACC in July of 2014, conference commissioner John Swofford showered Jurich with the bulk of his praise.

"Louisville's had the foresight and good sense to recognize an outstanding leader and understand what that kind of leadership over an extended period of time can mean, and have kept him there, because Tom's had numerous opportunities to leave," Swofford said. "I think the fact that he has stayed and built something very special has to give him a great deal of satisfaction. Tom won't make it about him, and good ADs don't, but you can't help but understand that much of what has happened at the University of Louisville is due to his vision and his leadership and his energy."

In 2007, Jurich was selected as the Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal/Sports Business Daily Athletic Director of the Year. Jurich also became the award's first two-time finalist in 2013.

Brian Cromer, Dr. Ronald Wright and Diane Medley were the three board members who voted not to fire Jurich.

Again, I sure hope there are at least a couple of people at the school who know what they’re doing, because we are heading into an awfully murky and crucial period of time for this athletic program.