By Madelin Shelton — 

The University of Louisville announced Aug. 27 Men’s Basketball Coach Chris Mack will be suspended without pay for six games during the 2021-2022 season.

According to U of L, Mack was a victim of an extortion attempt by former assistant coach Dino Gaudio. However, Mack allegedly failed to follow University guidelines, policies, and procedures in handling the situation. “The sanctions imposed upon Coach Mack are unrelated to the extortion attempt itself and the ongoing NCAA process,” the university said in a statement.

The suspension will last from Nov. 8  to Nov. 27  and includes six non-conference games, two of which will be in the Bahamas. The conditions of the suspension for Mack include having no contact with the men’s basketball coaching staff or student-athletes and forfeiting $221,000 in compensation.

“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,” Mack said in a U of L press release.

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