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Iona males’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino told newshounds that he’s not particular whether his time with the Gaels is over after they fell to UConn in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday.
St. John’s and Texas Tech reportedly admire curiosity in Pitino, per CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
Jon Rothstein @JonRothstein
Source: Texas Tech has expressed serious curiosity in Rick Pitino over the closing 36 hours to change Ticket Adams.
Iona plays tonight in the semifinals of the MAAC Match.
Right here is March. https://t.co/ASgoPjpM6p
ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported March 10 that St. John’s used to be catch 22 situation to sight at Pitino as its top candidate to change Mike Anderson, with whom the university parted ways after the fashioned season.
In recent days, Pitino has solid doubt that he’ll leave and principal he would easiest leave Iona for a “particular enviornment.”
Pitino began his head teaching occupation because the meantime boss at Hawai’i in 1976. He later guided Boston and Windfall sooner than spending eight years with Kentucky, successful the 1995-96 nationwide championship. Following four years because the Boston Celtics head coach, Pitino took over at Louisville, successful one other nationwide title in 2012-13.
But his Cardinals tenure, from 2001-02 to 2016-17, integrated an NCAA investigation into allegations that assistant coach Andre McGee paid for strippers to create at parties attended by gamers and recruits from 2010 to 2014, with one dilapidated participant saying he had sex with one of the famous dancers and that this used to be paid for by McGee. Louisville removed itself from postseason opponents in 2015-16 amid the investigation, and the governing body charged Pitino with failure to show screen. He used to be suspended for the first 5 ACC games of 2017-18, and the NCAA vacated the Cardinals’ 2012 Glorious Four appearance and 2013 nationwide championship, among a range of penalties.
In 2017, the Cardinals were among a option of teams investigated for bribery. Pitino used to be fired for catch 22 situation off that yr, but that used to be modified to a resignation after he filed a lawsuit in opposition to the College of Louisville Athletic Association.
The NCAA didn’t penalize Pitino, which he principal to newshounds Friday (h/t Matt Norlander of CBS Sports).
“I used to be entirely exonerated,” he talked about. “… For five years they build me in the outhouse because of they [the NCAA] may well per chance presumably not gain their stuff collectively. … I if truth be told have not any opinion what the future may well per chance presumably elevate.”
Pitino obtained one other shot with Iona in 2020, and the Gaels admire won two MAAC fashioned-season titles and two MAAC tournament titles and made two NCAA tournament appearances.
Pitino would admire his work reduce attend out for him at St. John’s, which has not won an NCAA tournament game since 2000 and plays in the not easy Gigantic East.
The same goes for Texas Tech, which factual went 5-13 in Gigantic 12 play and has a gap at head coach after Ticket Adams resigned after he made racially insensitive remarks.
However the 70-yr-extinct Pitino has proved his teaching prowess over and over and have to quiet flip the team round.
Whether he leaves for St. John’s remains to be considered, but for now, Pitino is the Iona coach.
Look March Insanity Live to accelerate every tournament game by the Glorious Four.
