Rick Pitino’s firing expected to become official Monday

The University of Louisville Athletic Association on Monday morning is expected to vote on suspended men's basketball coach Rick Pitino's job status, as "(o)ne of the most significant weeks in the University of Louisville's modern history" begins, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Pitino has been on administrative leave since Sept. 27 after the university acknowledged its involvement in a wide-ranging FBI and Department of Justice investigation into, among other things, alleged bribery of recruits and related fraud.

Interim university president Greg Postel was directed Oct. 2 by the 28-member ULAA to pursue terminating Pitino's contract "for cause."

The athletic association's personnel committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. ET with the full board of directors meeting scheduled to begin at 9.

According to the Courier-Journal, it's unclear whether Pitino will be present, adding "it seems more likely that he will let his lawyers do the talking on his behalf."

Discussion of Pitino's job status by both the personnel committee and the ULAA board will be behind closed doors, but the actual vote on whether to fire Pitino will be made in an open session.

The ULAA board is composed of nine faculty members, four university administrators, two Board of Trustees members, two students, one full-time university staff member, two vice presidents and the president as well as seven at-large appointees.

If the board votes to fire Pitino, his attorney already has warned of the possibility he would sue Louisville for breach of contract.