A former University of Louisville basketball assistant has pleaded guilty to a federal charge of attempted extortion and will avoid prison time.

Dino Gaudio was dismissed from the team along with another assistant in March after the Cardinals missed the NCAA tournament. During a meeting with coaches, Gaudio threatened to go to the media with alleged NCAA violations by the team, according federal prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty on Friday to a charge of interstate communication with intent to extort, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's office in Louisville. Gaudio agreed to a plea deal that will include probation and a fine.

Gaudio, 64, threatened to expose alleged violations by the team 'in its production of recruiting videos for prospective student-athletes and in the use of its graduate assistants in practices,' according to a charging document filed in May. He asked for 17 months of salary or a $425,000 lump sum payment, according to the U.S. Attorney.

Gaudio will be sentenced on August 27.

He had been the head coach at Wake Forest University from 2007-10. He then spent eight years as an ESPN analyst before joining Louisville in 2018. Gaudio also previously led Army and Loyola-Maryland and worked with Mack at Wake Forest.

Describing himself and the school as the 'victims of coach Gaudio's conduct,' Mack said in a statement last month that he will 'continue to fully cooperate with authorities in their investigations.

'We take seriously any allegation of NCAA violations within our basketball program,' Mack said.

Gaudio's attorney, Brian Butler, told Louisville station WDRB that his client is taking 'full responsibility for the comments he made.'

'When his contract wasn't renewed in March by someone he had been friends with for 30 years, that he had a strong professional relationship with going back to actually coaching coach Mack, he lost his temper,' Butler told WDRB. 'He said some things he regrets saying. Unfortunately those things were taped and he wasn't given a chance to walk those back.

'It's a sad day for Dino Gaudio; it's a sad day for his family,' Butler continued. 'He intends to take full responsibility for the comments he made.'

The university said it could not comment 'due to the ongoing federal investigation and the NCAA process.'

Previously, Butler asked the public to consider his entire body of work before judging him.

'Dino Gaudio is one of the top coaches in the United States,' Butler said of his client. 'He has spent 40 years changing student athletes’ lives. He came to Louisville three years ago. He gave his heart and soul to the University of Louisville. He had received top evaluations. He was even slated in February to be the interim head coach in a nationally televised game.

'We hope that everyone who knows coach Gaudio, that he's touched, will reflect on all the 40 years of good and put in context a few seconds or minutes of unfortunate comments that he made.'