LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino asked a federal judge to show mercy when sentencing former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and allow him to “become a productive citizen again” after the basketball star’s political and personal fall from grace.
Pitino’s letter is among 29 pieces of correspondence sent to U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove in the weeks leading up to Farmer’s sentencing in January for abusing public office. The judge sentenced Farmer to 27 months in federal prison. He is serving the sentence at a prison in Bruceton Mills, W.Va.
Van Tatenhove unsealed the letters Thursday evening.
Many of the letters were from family and long-time friends, including former Kentucky basketball star and current University of Florida assistant basketball coach John Pelphrey. Pitino coached both men at Kentucky from 1989 through 1992. Pitino and Pelphrey were the only people connected to Farmer’s college basketball career to write to the judge.
Farmer and Pelphrey were part of the 1991-1992 team known as “The Unforgettables” for their gutsy play and for turning the Wildcats around after a couple of years on probation.
Farmer had been a rising star within the Kentucky GOP until an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor in 2011 on a ticket with Republican state Senate President David Williams. They lost overwhelmingly to incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, in part because of the brewing scandal.
Pitino, a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, described Farmer as a “very down-to-earth person” who cared about his teammates and the university more than individual accomplishments. Pitino also said Farmer would “learn a great lesson” from the legal proceedings and wouldn’t appear in court again.
“Richie is very remorseful for his misconduct,” Pitino wrote on Jan. 8. “It causes him and me great pain to see his family broken up because of his actions.”
Pelphrey, the former head coach at the University of Arkansas, has known Farmer since they were high school rivals in the 1980s in eastern Kentucky. Pelphrey told the judge about Farmer making personal sacrifices for the good of the team and that he cared about his teammates more than himself.
Pelphrey also asked Van Tatenhove to give Farmer an opportunity to see his three sons grow up, despite making poor choices and decisions while in office.
“Politics is a tough game,” Pelphrey wrote. “But Richie is not a criminal. He does not belong in Jail or Prison. There are other punishments that fit his sins better than those options.”
Farmer, 44, pleaded guilty in September to two counts of misappropriating government resources. He was also ordered to pay $120,500 in restitution. He admitted to hiring friends and having them do little to no work and using state employees to build a basketball court at his home.
As a high school standout, Farmer was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1988. He played shooting guard for Kentucky from 1988 to 1992, and had career averages of 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.
The Wildcats’ run in the NCAA Tournament ended in a regional final against Duke, a matchup often cited as the greatest college game ever played. The Blue Devils survived an overtime thriller when Duke forward Christian Laettner caught a long pass near the free throw line, took one dribble and hit the jump shot at the buzzer to win the game.
Farmer, Pelphrey and teammates Deron Feldhaus and Sean Woods became well-known and their jerseys, including Farmer’s No. 32, were retired.
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