Today the talk of the town especially in Miami and Louisville are the sanctions imposed by the NCAA. Tuesday morning they unveiled the findings of their investigation into Miami athletics and issued sanctions that are a very long time coming. Two and a half years later to be exact. Not exactly due process but we are talking about the NCAA here. An organization that has been bashed this past year for its poor judgment, unjust rulings on student athletes and other misdoings. Oh and did you know that the backbone of their case rest on the word of a cocaine sniffing, thieving, convict.

Tom Jurich talks Clint Hurtt

During their probe into the University of Miami’s misdoings they allegedly discovered that the now University of Louisville’s Defensive Line coach was receiving and providing impermissible benefits to recruits while he coached at Miami. They also allege that he wasn’t completely honest with them during their investigation. A lot of alleging… Today while handing out their punishment the NCAA leveled a two-year show-cause sanction on Hurtt which basically means that if he were to be hired by another university they would have to take it before a NCAA panel.

But he won’t be hired by another university because like he has time and time again Tom Jurich decided to stand by his coach and keep him at Louisville. But make no mistake about it Clint Hurtt doesn’t walk away without any type of punishment from this. Along with the NCAA sanctions Hurtt will also be punished by Louisville. These punishments include: being banned from any recruiting activity during the rest of this year and through the spring of 2014, freezing his compensation for two years, has to attend NCAA regional rules seminars in 2014 and 2015 at his own cost and will have a “zero tolerance” policy. If Clint Hurtt did do the things that the NCAA and others alleged he did 6 years ago then I think this is an appropriate response to those mistakes. Why ruin a guy’s life for mistakes he may or may not have made as a young coach in an environment where that type of behavior was par for the course?

Clint Hurtt Post-Practice Interview Today

(Video courtesy Howie Lindsey)

As you may know by now there are those among us who would dare question the decision made by Tom Jurich today. All of a sudden one of the best Athletic Directors in the country has forgot how to do his job, and the very same people who have bashed the NCAA for all of their stupid decisions over the past year now agree with them on the Clint Hurtt matter. And yes everyone is entitled to their opinions no matter how inconsistent they may be. How can anyone really be surprised by Tom Jurich standing behind his guy? How many times during his tenure have we seen him do this? Time and time again Tom Jurich has been loyal to those under his command. He is one of the most loyal leaders I’ve ever seen. And it’s that loyalty along with his ability to make the big decisions that has got him where he is today. I firmly stand behind Mr. Jurich with his decision to keep Clint Hurtt. And I applaud him for being so loyal in a world that has forgotten what the word means. Coaches all across America also heard the words loud and clear today. If you come to the University of Louisville, work hard; perform your job to the best of your abilities you will be backed by your boss. Loyalty First, Cards forever…