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The Rick Pitino era in Louisville was one of great highs and lows. After taking the program to three Final Fours and winning a national championship in 2013, his empire came crumbling down.
The head coach was let go amid scandal in 2017, leading to that title being vacated by the NCAA. That scandal involved a Cardinals staffer providing escorts to players and recruits.
Katina Powell, an escort at the head of the investigation, said that though she had no proof of Rick Pitino having knowledge of the situation she had to ask, “How could he have not known?”
The split led to Pitino filing a wrongful termination lawsuit against the school in hopes of getting the $38.7M remaining on his contract.
A countersuit from Louisville followed, and the case was eventually settled. Though Pitino didn’t get his money, the school changed his termination to a resignation.
Rick Pitino has since moved on in his coaching career, leading both Iona and St. John’s. His son, meanwhile, could be the next in Louisville’s crosshairs.
Louisville is eyeing Richard Pitino for its coaching vacancy.
Just five years after settling that case, the Cardinals are ready to hop back into bed with the Pitino family. This time, it’s Richard, who’s currently the coach at New Mexico.
In three years with the Lobos, he’s gone 61-41 while leading the team to a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance this past season. Prior to his time in Albuquerque, he was the head coach at Minnesota.
Sources: New Mexico coach Richard Pitino has had conversations with Louisville about its vacant coaching position. The son of the former Cardinals coach is in the mix.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) March 26, 2024
Louisville ended a disaster of a tenure with former player Kenny Payne after the close of the 2023-24 campaign. Over Payne’s two seasons leading the program, the Cardinals went 12-52.
Would they actually pursue Richard Pitino to fill the role given the history with his father? It seems so!
While the reports suggest Pitino is in play, there are others on Louisville’s short list. Those include College of Charleston’s Pat Kelsey, fresh off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, and Shaheen Holloway, who’s been at Seton Hall his alma mater for two seasons.