The university is conducting a national search based on best practices that includes listening to stakeholders, engaging a specialty search firm and identifying an advisory group to the president. The search process has included listening sessions with students, faculty, staff, alumni, student athletes, student athlete alumni, coaches, athletic department staff and the community.

The Planning Group will share feedback with Interim President Lori Stewart Gonzalez and an Athletic Director Search Advisory Group, which will work with the search firm to create a leadership statement/job description for the athletic director position and to inform decisions made during the search process.

The search firm will be retained within the next few weeks. From that time, the search process should take three to five weeks, Gonzalez said.

After structured interviews, background checks and other key elements of a structured search, the Advisory Group will advise the president, who will select the final candidate pending input from the Board and any necessary approvals.

“We have committed to a thorough search conducted with integrity and diligence,” Gonzalez said. “This process will help us secure an athletic director who will have the skills and experience necessary to lead our program now and in the future.”

Postel met with Pitino and Jurich separately Wednesday morning to inform them of the decision, which comes after allegations that a men’s basketball coach participated with an apparel company and others in a scheme to pay a recruit to come to the university.

That player has been notified that he has been removed from team activities.

“The allegations are serious,” Postel said. “It is vital for this university to strictly adhere to NCAA rules and, of course, federal law. Doing nothing would be a tacit endorsement of potential criminal and unethical behavior.”

Jurich has been suspended with pay, effective immediately, pending the next meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees. Pitino has been suspended without pay, effective immediately.

Postel said he will work quickly to name an interim athletic director and, together, they will name an interim head men’s basketball coach. He said he hopes to announce those appointments within 48 hours. Decisions regarding coaches named during the investigation will be made by the interim athletic director.

Postel stressed that the university will cooperate fully with law enforcement and NCAA officials.

The press conference is available below: