NBA Rumors: Rick Pitino wants back in the NBA; will he get a shot?
NBA Rumors: According to reports, Rick Pitino wants a shot to coach in the NBA again. Will he get another opportunity, though?
After his latest firing from Louisville, which included an FBI probe, it’s become pretty clear that Rick Pitino is done coaching at the college level. It would be greatly surprising to see him get another shot in the NCAA.
However, he could, if he so chooses, try and coach elsewhere – overseas on the high school level (if he honestly loves coaching) or try to make a return to the NBA.
Though, just last month, he said in an interview that he was done with coaching. It’s amazing how quick things can change.
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According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Pitino wants to work his way back to being a possible head-coaching candidate next year. He has hired an agent and it appears he’s serious about making a return to the NBA.
"After his firing following an FBI probe at Louisville, Rick Pitino is planning to use the season to immerse himself in the NBA game and hopes to become a candidate for head-coaching openings in the spring."
Prior to his recent stint and success at the college level, Pitino coached the New York Knicks from 1987-89 (two seasons) and the Boston Celtics from 1997-01 (3.5 seasons). He had mild success with the Knicks, but fell apart altogether with the Celtics before ultimately making the move to college basketball.
But from the sound of it all, Pitino is going to do everything in his power to make it back to the coaching sidelines. However, I’m just not sure if there’s any team out there that is going to throw an opportunity at him. It’s going to be interesting to see, A) what jobs become open after this season and B) if he even gets an interview or two.
Especially right now, with everything that has surrounded Pitino over the last few seasons, it doesn’t seem like a great idea to have him as the face of your franchise. I could be wrong, though. We should find out fairly soon. If one thing is for sure, he is a big name.
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And for many teams out there that are looking to make a flashy move, this could be one.