Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley picked up technical fouls within seconds of each other during the Big East Tournament. Both national champion college basketball coaches were fired up during a intense matchup at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.
It could not have been more entertaining!
The jarring started early. Hurley and Pitino, two of the biggest personalities in the sport, were exchanging pleasantries throughout the entire first half.
Tempers reached their boiling point shortly thereafter.
St. John’s was called for a shooting foul while down by six with just over eight minutes left. Pitino felt like his player had his feet set and arms up. He went nuclear on the nearest official.
The referee did not appreciate what Pitino had to say and T’d him up.
Meanwhile, Hurley was also fuming on the other end of the court!
The Huskies’ head coach did not appreciate the antics of a Red Storm fan sitting courtside and tried to have him thrown out of the arena. In doing so, the same referee that issued Rick Pitino a technical foul also called Dan Hurley for a technical foul.
They were back-to-back!
Although the fan received a stern warning from the security team at the Mecca, he was allowed to stay. Hurley and Pitino both agreed to let cooler heads prevail— momentarily, at least.
There is a lot of irony in the latter’s technical foul, considering his comments back in January.
Pitino proudly stated that he does not get into it with officials. He said that he considers it to be a form of cheating.
I don’t yell at officials during the game. This is going to sound absolutely berserk: I think it’s a form of cheating when you’re trying to get calls on every play and cursing at the referees, inciting the crowd. You’re trying to get calls. I don’t believe in that. I’ve said to referees throughout my tenure maybe 1,000 times: Stop listening to the other coach, you’re getting paid to referee, not to listen to coaches. Most of them adhere to it, the ones that aren’t great don’t adhere to it.
— Rick Pitino
Friday’s incident directly contradicts his firm statement from earlier in the season. By the standard set by his own words, Pitino was cheating at the Big East Tournament! He incited the crowd while yelling at the referee over what he believes was a bad call.