Pitino hired as Louisville coach
By CHRIS DUNCAN
Associated Press Writer
March 21, 2001
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Rick Pitino became Louisville's basketball
coach Wednesday, returning to the state where he won a national
championship in 1996.
Pitino and his family arrived to enthusiastic cheers at an evening
news conference and pep rally to introduce him as coach.
``Now it's my time to lead the Cardinals back to prominence,'' Pitino said.
Pitino, who won the national title as coach of the Kentucky Wildcats,
resigned as coach and president of the Boston Celtics in January after
3 1/2 disappointing seasons.
His hiring at Louisville follows a bold, aggressive courtship by
athletic director Tom Jurich, who acted as a one-man search committee.
Jurich said two weeks ago that Pitino was his only candidate for the job.
Pitino, who was courted by Michigan and other schools, said wife Joanne
helped convince him to take the Louisville job.
He said she told him, ``I think that you love the state of Kentucky;
you love the people you met at U. of L. I think you should go back to
the place you love.''
He said he almost decided to take the Michigan job Wednesday morning.
Jurich flew to Pitino's Miami home on March 9 and persuaded him to
visit the Louisville campus last week.
Pitino left impressed, but said he wanted to consult his family before
making a decision. He worked the NCAA Midwest Regional in Dayton, Ohio,
as an analyst for CBS before flying to Boston to meet his family Sunday
night.
Pitino replaces Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum, who retired after months
of strained relations with Jurich. The 64-year-old Crum, who led
Louisville to NCAA championships in 1980 and '86, had two seasons left
on his contract, but accepted a $7 million buyout.
Speculation began immediately that Pitino was Jurich's top choice, and
even former Louisville players voiced support.
Jurich called a news conference March 6 to confirm he was pursuing Pitino.
When Pitino expressed interest, some Kentucky fans said they were angry
that Pitino would even consider coaching the Wildcats' rival.
Pitino said the opinions of Kentucky fans factored into his decision but
that his family mattered most. His 18-year-old son, Richard, accompanied
him during his recent visit to the Louisville campus.
Pitino, 48, took the Celtics' job in 1997 after eight seasons at Kentucky
that solidified his reputation as a master rebuilder. He previously turned
around mediocre programs at Boston University and Providence, guiding both
to the NCAA tournament. He also coached the New York Knicks from 1987-89.
The season before Pitino arrived at Kentucky, the team went 13-19 -- its
first losing record in 62 years -- and was hit with NCAA probation. He
inherits a Louisville program in similar disarray.
The Cardinals finished this season 12-19, capping the worst four-year
run in Crum's 30 years. Louisville is 62-62 since reaching the NCAA
regional finals in 1997 and was twice put on probation in the 1990s.
The school hopes Pitino can guide the Cardinals back to the national
prominence they enjoyed in the 1980s.
It took Pitino three seasons to do it in Lexington. Kentucky went 14-14
in his first season and 22-6 in his second.
In his third, the Wildcats went 29-7, losing to Duke in the memorable
1992 East Regional final.
Kentucky reached the Final Four the following season and went 124-19
over the next four, winning the school's sixth national title in 1996.
The Wildcats reached the title game in 1997, losing to Arizona, before
Pitino accepted a 10-year, $50 million contract to coach the Celtics.
Pitino turned the Wildcats over to Tubby Smith, a former assistant.
Smith congratulated Louisville from Philadelphia, where Kentucky is
preparing to play Southern California on Thursday in the East Regional
semifinals.
``They're getting one of the great coaches in basketball,'' Smith said.
``I'll welcome him back.''
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: 211.75.136.185
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <
作者: Theodor (消失的神話) 看板: NCAA
標題: Re: Ouch Pitino hired as Louisville coach
時間: Thu Mar 22 08:48:55 2001
一打開電視就看到Louisville的記者會現場轉播，Jurich說完一堆廢話，
Pitino上台接受歡呼，正準備致詞時....ESPN就給我上其他節目了....
Pitino掙扎了幾天以後還是接下這份工作了，UK的球迷大概個個怒火中燒吧 :D
（註：此二校素為惡鄰居）
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: 211.75.136.185
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------- <
作者: vantora (Dennis Johnson) 看板: NCAA
標題: Re: Ouch Pitino hired as Louisville coach
時間: Thu Mar 22 10:26:18 2001
※ 引述《Theodor (消失的神話)》之銘言：
: 一打開電視就看到Louisville的記者會現場轉播，Jurich說完一堆廢話，
: Pitino上台接受歡呼，正準備致詞時....ESPN就給我上其他節目了....
: Pitino掙扎了幾天以後還是接下這份工作了，UK的球迷大概個個怒火中燒吧 :D
: （註：此二校素為惡鄰居）
Louisville 的球迷非常討厭 UK ，主要的原因是早期
UK 的白人球員政策，這裡面帶著非常濃厚的黑白種族
的問題，因此即使 UK 離 Lousiville 非常的近，又
是傳統名校，UK 一直沒辦法從 Lousiville 招到球員
，第一個勉強算是 Lousiville 來的球員，是從 Ohio
State 轉學過去的 Derek Anderson，不過 DA 雖然是
Louiville 出生的球員，但是跟著養父搬過不少地方。
法克，什麼地方不去，去 U. of L.。
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.twbbs.org)
◆ From: c189.h210062137.is.net.tw