What is that magic elixir that seems to cause major celebrities to believe they can avoid or at least skirt the rules of decency that govern the great majority of people? Why do so many pampered personalities have to be pushed into doing the right thing rather than recognizing errors and expressing contrition?

Take the case of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino, involved in an ongoing scandal about extramarital sex and efforts to cover up his bad decisions. Pitino called a media session and apologized for the things he did that created such a stir, especially for his family and employers. Yet now we’re left to wonder if that was really his idea or something the president of his school demanded.

Now Pitino is blaming the media for overplaying his tomfoolery and making it difficult for his family. His behavior set this in motion and the media only covered his stupidity compounded by bad decisions.

An earlier memo from Louisville President James Ramsey said he considered a “wide range of options” to deal with the Pitino case. Bottom line, the president actually told the coach to give a public apology. Does Pitino consider himself so sacrosanct and victimized that it takes a memo from the president to get him to the apology stand? That appears to be the sequence of events.

This is not some moderate case of infidelity that can be brushed off with the old “boys will be boys” dodge. Pitino issued his apology after police documents alleged the coach gave the woman $3,000 after she said she was pregnant and could not afford health insurance. Earlier, she had attempted to extort $10 million from Pitino to keep quiet, and now she says Pitino talked a member of his staff into marrying her to silence her.

Karen Cunagin Sypher has been indicted on charges of lying to the FBI and attempting to get $10 million via extortion. The longer the case drags out, the worse she looks and the seedier Rick Pitino appears.

Despite considerable static from faculty and staff, Louisville says it intends to stick by Pitino as the school’s basketball coach. But this noted public figure who has been celebrated so often as a great technician and a fine citizen looks even worse because it appears his apology was forced by the president rather than emerging quickly as a result of his own good conscience.

The really decent thing to do under the circumstances would be for the coach to resign. He won’t, of course. Such people too seldom take the truly honorable route.