Home » Pitino will not attend Louisvillian of the Year luncheon in his honor

Pitino will not attend Louisvillian of the Year luncheon in his honor

Staff cites ‘unforeseen scheduling conflict at no fault to Coach Pitino’

By Lorie Hailey
lanereport.com editor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Aug. 22, 2013) — Basketball coach Rick Pitino has been named the 2013 Louisvillian of the Year, but he won’t attend the Friday ceremony in his honor.

Coach Rick Pitino was selected as the 2013 Louisvillian of the Year. His Louisville Cardinals won the 2013 NCAA Basketball Championship.
Coach Rick Pitino, center, was selected as the 2013 Louisvillian of the Year. His Louisville Cardinals won the 2013 NCAA Basketball Championship.

The American Advertising Federation – Louisville (AAF-Louisville) was informed Thursday by Pitino’s staff that the Hall of Fame coach is unable to attend the luncheon because of “an unforeseen scheduling conflict at no fault to Coach Pitino.”

In an email to a Lane Report correspondent, the AAF-Louisville said Pitino’s staff made all efforts to ensure the UofL coach’s attendance, but “they were unable to reschedule the conflict.”

“The AAF-Louisville has decided to have the luncheon as planned, and with the help of Kenny Klein and Coach Pitino’s staff, the club will still be able to provide an exciting and worthwhile program celebrating his contributions to this city,” wrote Liz Floore.

UofL Athletic Director Tom Jurich will accept the award on Pitino’s behalf and make remarks, and a pre-recorded interview with Pitino will be played during the program, Floore said.

Pitino also will issue a pre-recorded statement about his absence, she said.

First bestowed in 1951, the Louisvillian of the Year award is the oldest of its kind in Kentucky. This award publicly recognizes an individual’s personal contributions to the Louisville community in the areas of civic, educational or business progress in recent years.

Past honorees include: UofL President James Ramsey; Bernard M. Trager, chairman and founder of Republic Bancorp, Inc.; Muhammad Ali; Tom Jurich; George Fischer; Mary Bingham; Ulysses Bridgeman Jr.; and Mary H. Griffith, among others.