Ex-Louisville Assistant Dino Gaudio Sentenced to One Year Probation, $10,000 Fine for Extortion

The former Cardinals assistant coach attempted to extort the program after being informed he would not be retained.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former Louisville men's basketball assistant coach Dino Gaudio has been sentenced to one year of probation and a $10,000 fine, after attempting to extort head coach Chris Mack and the Cardinals back in March.

Gaudio had been charged by the U.S. Attorney with "interstate communication with intent to extort," a felony that carried a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Gaudio received the minimum sentence, in accordance with his plea deal taken earlier this summer.

“I made an error in judgement and I take full responsibility for that,” Gaudio told Judge Benjamin Beaton. “It’s very atypical for how I lived my life and the court, you can rest assured, it will never happen again.”

During a Mar. 17 visit with Mack, after being informed that he would not have his contract renewed, Gaudio threatened to expose recruiting violations to the media if he did not receive a lump sum of 17 months salary - indicative of his pay through his anticipated retirement date of September 2022.

Related: What Ramifications for Louisville Will Come From Gaudio's Extortion Case?

The recruiting violations in question, according to Gaudio's sentencing memorandum, was the use of graduate assistants in practice, and the use of recruiting videos that were "copycatting the ESPN 30 for 30 show by creating individualized recruiting videos for prized recruits".

Gaudio also sent a text to Mack containing the video in question, which "traveled" over state lines, according to the U.S. Attorney. The day after the meeting, Louisville self-reported the violations to the NCAA, which were Level III in nature - or the lowest on the NCAA's violation structure.

Also: Gaudio Says He Confronted Mack in Summer of 2020 Regarding Alleged NCAA Violations

In Gaudio's sentencing memorandum, attorney Brian Butler alleged that Gaudio confronted Mack the regarding alleged NCAA violations as far back as "early summer of 2020".

Butler also alleged that Gaudio and Mack not only had "profound differences about how to manage COVID in order to keep everyone healthy", but that Mack conducted workouts that "may have been in violation of NCAA COVID protocols".

Louisville had gone 57-28 in Gaudio's three years as an assistant, including an NCAA Tournament berth in 2019. However, after going 13-7 overall and 8-5 in the ACC to miss the NCAA Tournament this past season, Mack decided to make a coaching staff shakeup, letting go of both Gaudio and fellow assistant Luke Murray.

The program has since filled both vacant assistant coaching positions, promoting director of basketball operations Kahil Fennell and bringing on former New Zealand National Team assistant coach Ross McMains.

(Photo of Dino Gaudio: Jeremy Brevard - USA TODAY Sports)

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