If Rick Pitino gets a new coaching job, Sporting News basketball writer Mike DeCourcey has no doubts he would win with the new team. (Iona Photo)
Sporting News columnist Mike DeCourcy has covered the last 32 Final Fours and watched Kentucky win national titles in 1996, 1998 and 2012 under coaches Rick Pitino, Tubby Smith and Calipari.
He thinks Pitino, age 70, could be on the verge of returning to a big-time job. He coached at Louisville from 2001-2017 following a stint with the Boston Celtics after leaving UK before losing his job with the Cardinals. He’s been at Iona since 2020.
“He said when he got there he wasn’t going anywhere else and then last spring he started backpedaling,” DeCourcy said. “I would like for him to stand behind something he says publicly. Instead he often says things he wishes he hadn’t said and does something else.”
“But I don’t think there has ever been a better basketball coach than Rick Pitino. Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) is the greatest coach of all time but just in terms of technical ability, communication, scouting ability, Rick is as good as there has ever been.”
“How if a major college program is struggling could they not take a chance on him. Actually, it’s not really taking a chance. It’s more a question of how much energy and will he has left. I think someone out there will do it.”
“If you hire Rick Pitino, you are going to win. It happens every place he has been. I don’t think he will be at Iona next year.”
9 Responses
I wouldn’t mind to see him back as our coach at UK.
When Hell freezes over
He’s a scumbag with no morals stay away from UK you ruined uavel
We don’t need you
Grover, he’s did more good for UK than any coach we had since Rupp was force out. I’ll leave at that and if you don’t like him so be it. The man can flat out coach anybody in the country.
Pretty weighty pen above.
Whoe needs this guy with his infamous past? Pitino is where he needs to be. Miles from the UK campus. Grover got it right.
I knew i would get some flak when i made the comment, but what he did had nothing to do with UK we all make mistakes.
Well Cats79, I’ve made more than a few mistakes
79, you are right, Pitino can coach basketball better than anyone in the game currently. The problem is he can’t keep his pants on and would not be the right role model for kids who are growing into men. I think Cal will be leaving voluntarily at the end of the season. I am not sure that any big names will want the job. We may have to run with one of the assistants for a couple of years and then find a coach.