By Kyeland Jackson — 

Nearly a week after U of L fired Athletic Director Tom Jurich, the letter terminating him alleges Jurich intimidated, bullied and defaced the university.

The letter, sent by Interim President Greg Postel, called Jurich a bully and said his actions damaged U of L.

“Your deliberate dereliction of duties, unprofessional conduct, bullying and breach of your fiduciary obligations cannot be considered isolated events. Instead, they are illustrative of a pattern and practice of willful misconduct resulting in substantial detriment to the university,” Postel’s letter read.

Jurich was fired shortly after an FBI investigation alleged men’s basketball team staffers partnered with an adidas employee to bribe a recruit. The investigation is ongoing, but U of L responded by firing Rick Pitino, Jurich and assistant basketball coach Jordan Fair. The investigation marks another scandal besetting the athletics department, as an investigation into a former men’s basketball team staffer paying women to dance and have sex with recruits wrought NCAA allegations and charges.

Postel’s Oct. 20 letter firing Jurich said the athletic director failed his duty to promote “zero tolerance” on infractions when responding to that scandal, and said he inadequately notified Postel and the board of trustees when securing a lucrative adidas contract this August.

Postel went further, alleging Jurich purposefully entered agreements with former President James Ramsey to benefit himself, and tried to hide it from others.

“These undisclosed deals with Dr. Ramsey lacked approval by either the ULAA (athletics) board or the University’s board of trustees and constitute repeated reaches of your fiduciary duty,” Postel’s letter said. “They have caused substantial damage to both ULAA and to the university.”

The letter said Jurich’s compensation, benefits and incentives under his contract would be forfeited in firing him.

Jurich’s lawyers, who defended the former athletic director before the board fired him Oct. 18, did not return a call for comment at the time of this post.

File Photo / The Louisville Cardinal