'with just cause'
- which may ultimately be a difficult stance to maintain - but may set the stage for some ultimate fractional amount settlement. Have no idea how Louisville wrote Pitino's contract - don't know how "just cause" was defined - but in most college coach cases, unless you have hard, definitive evidence that the coach was an active participant in some clear-cut criminal action, and you followed a step by step process outlined in the individual contract or set forth in general university personnel policy, it would be hard to make the 'just cause' status stick.
But Hey - if you have a guy like Pitino - with stinky 'ick' all over him - maybe you open the separation discussions with "don't let the door hit you ..." and take it from there.
- or maybe you already have verified information that will cause Pitino to be very willing to be highly receptive to a quiet resolution.