Mark Pope and Rick Pitino during UK's 1995-96 national championship season. (UK Athletics Photo)
Before he finished his introductory press conference at Kentucky, new UK coach Mark Pope teased that he wanted to start a series with St. John’s and coach Rick Pitino, Pope’s coach at UK on the 1996 national championship team.
“I’m dying to try and beat Coach, man,” Pope told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on “College Hoops Today” earlier this week. “It’s gonna happen. We’ve just got to work through all those little pieces that get complicated.
“I just think so much about the basketball world would be right with Coach having at least one more chance to walk back into this building and let Big Blue Nation show how grateful they are for him and how much they love him.”
That might not have been the case for many UK fans last season but now that John Calipari has left for Arkansas after winning just one NCAA Tournament game in the last four years, Pitino should get a much warmer welcome — especially with Pope continually singing Pitino’s praises.
The game is not going to happen during the 2024-25 season according to Pitino but I certainly can understand why.
“For our 30th anniversary next year we will go to Rupp and they will return to MSG (Madison Square Garden) the following year (2026-27),” Pitino told Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media.
Pitino said contracts have not been signed but the agreement had been reached and Pitino said yes to Pope’s offer within a few hours of the former UK player mentioning it in his first Kentucky press conference.
However, think about how perfect it will be to have a 30-year reunion of that 1996 championship team and have Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Derek Anderson, Ron Mercer, Anthony Epps and others back in Rupp Arena to celebrate with Pitino and Pope.
4 Responses
How much longer can Pitino coach? He is already in his 70s. I guess he is trying to wash off some of the stain that coaching at Louisville has left on his legacy. He was a successful coach who just couldn’t handle success. St. Johns will be his last rodeo, but I am not sure how much he will be able to accomplish there.
With Pope “re-introducing” Pitino to the BBN in Rupp Arena, where Pitino lifted UK into position to be the greatest dynasty era in college BB history (only to be PLOWed under in years to follow), Pitino should get a very hearty welcome.
If the UK AD had done his job, Pitino would have been back at UK as soon as he left Boston, but UK did not do its job of putting UK 1st instead of pampering Tubby.
It is hilarious to me – but not surprising in this state – that people would welcome Pitino back. Tubby has more integrity in his little pinky than Slick Rick has in his whole body. Some people would have been fine with hookers in Wildcat Lodge and Pitino going at it with his mistress on a table at Jeff Ruby’s. People like Slick Rick has become popular these days. It’s called Morally Bankrupt.
Pitino is a POS keep him outta Rupp Arena