LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- For Tom Jurich, the return to the University of Louisville campus isn't about just about being honored by the city with a street sign. It's about a goodbye that never happened.

More than six years after his departure as U of L athletic director — a separation that was abrupt, controversial and, for some, still emotional — Jurich will be back on campus at 10 a.m. Saturday near the Lenny Lyles statue at Cardinal Park. Not quietly. Not behind closed doors. But in public, with a section of Floyd Street named in his honor.

"It'll be tough," Jurich said of the emotions he expects, sitting alongside Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg for an interview Thursday morning. "Because we loved it here. I never, ever felt in my 20 years here that it was a job. It was my passion. And I can honestly say, to all our fans and friends, I gave it everything I had."

Jurich hasn't returned to campus since 2017. But his children and mother remain in Louisville as well as many coaches and others he hired at the school. And the fan base he helped energize — across multiple sports — never completely let go.

"This isn't about me," Jurich said. "This is a 'we.' We had a great staff, great coaches, phenomenal athletes. That's what made this worth it."

Still, there's no mistaking the personal meaning behind the moment. Jurich's 96-year-old mother will be there. So will his children and grandchildren. And his wife, Tarrilynn, who he called his "greatest ally," will be by his side, just as she was through two decades in athletics and a difficult few years after.

Greenberg, a former U of L trustee who served on boards with Jurich before becoming mayor, led the effort for the street honor.

"Tom and I have known each other a really long time," Greenberg said. "... He's known my parents, and I thought the world of Tom and what he did for our city and university, for so many people, for a long time. A few folks approached me a while back about honoring Tom in a unique way, and I'm just so thrilled we can do this now, in partnership with U of L, to honor Tom and his contributions to our city that are still making a profound, positive difference."

Jurich made clear that the gesture — and the city's role in it — means something.

"I'm so grateful ... because I never had a chance to really say goodbye," Jurich said. "And it was tough, because we had so many friends. We still do to this day. We love Louisville."

Current U of L leadership, including President Gerry Bradley and athletic director Josh Heird, are expected to participate in the ceremony — a signal, perhaps, that while past wounds may not be forgotten, the future matters more.

Greenberg framed it that way: "I think it says a lot that the current university leadership, Dr. Bradley and Josh, had a desire to be involved to honor Tom. I think that says a lot about how the past, the present and the future are all coming together to move forward. That's exciting."

Jurich is no longer a campus figure. He's retired, living in South Carolina, still following many of the U of L programs he helped build. Jeff Walz texted him this week from overseas while coaching in Turkey. Dan McDonnell remains a close friend. Jurich talks about them with pride. But there's also a sense that his own chapter — left unfinished — is finally closing the right way.

There was one flash of the old Jurich defiance, though. Asked about the 2013 national championship banner, still absent from the Yum! Center rafters, he didn't hold back.

"That banner needs to be back up," Jurich said. "And he's the guy to do it (nodding at Greenberg). Craig is a proven leader. He knows how to make decisions. And I think that case needs to be laid out and re-looked at, because that, to be honest now – I'm retired, I can say what I want – it's garbage. That's garbage."

Greenberg laughed and nodded.

"I think most people in Louisville agree with you," Greenberg said.

Jurich smiled. He didn't come back for vindication. But he came back. And that, for a city that once rallied behind him, marks a meaningful return.

Craig Greenberg and Tom Jurich

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg and former University of Louisville Athletics director Tom Jurich during an interview with WDRB at Metro Hall on June 26, 2025.

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