Rick Pitino won't resign over Louisville escort allegations

Rick Pitino has no plans to resign as head coach of the Louisville men's basketball team in wake of the allegations that former Louisville staffer Andre McGee paid escorts to have sex with recruits and players.

In a statement on his personal website, Pitino apologized to the team's fans for having "to endure the pain of these allegations":

I will not resign and let you down. Someday I will walk away in celebration of many memorable years but that time is not now. I do not fight these accusations by others but rather turn the other cheek. Couldn't do it at 33, but at 63 it's the wise thing to do. Let's let the investigators do their job and we will play basketball.

The ongoing story took another turn Tuesday when five former Louisville recruits confirmed to ESPN's "Outside The Lines" that they attended dorm parties that included strippers McGee paid for. One anonymous former Louisville recruit compared his trip to a "strip club."

It remains unknown whether Pitino was aware of the potential scandal while it was ongoing, or how much he knew. Former Louisville guard Terry Rozier, now a rookie in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, didn't deny the escort stories, but did say Pitino wouldn't have known what was taking place behind the scenes.

"Coach (Pitino), as far as the dorm situations and visits, he'd go out to eat with the recruits and their parents. As far as after that, he wouldn't know. ... I can say his nose is clean," Rozier told ESPN.