Rick Pitino has pulled his name out of consideration for the UNLV head-coaching job. It seemed that his heart was never really set to go to Las Vegas.

	Rick Pitino won a national title at Kentucky in '96.

Now that UNLV is out, where will Pitino end up? My gut feeling is, after he finishes his stint with CBS during the NCAA Tournament, he will make a decision. I believe it's in the Cards that he will land in Louisville, baby!

I'm sure Pitino was thrilled by the fact the Runnin' Rebels wanted to make him their head coach. They put together a package that would have made him one of the highest-paid coaches in America.

But Pitino is all about winning. When he looked at the entire landscape and studied the situation at UNLV, it became very difficult for him to believe he could win immediately. First of all, the sanctions and limited scholarships really bothered him. In conversations I had with Rick, that was his biggest concern -- the limitations over the number of recruits.

Another factor that bothered him was the recruitment of junior-college players. He felt uncomfortable since he had only recruited a few over his years as a head coach at Boston University, Providence and Kentucky. He didn't want to go in that direction.

Pitino was thankful for the interest shown by the UNLV people. His wife, Joanne, had a good visit there with the school's president, Carol Harter. But when all was said and done, the coach felt UNLV was not the place to be.

I feel Pitino will do a brilliant job for CBS during the tournament. His knowledge and ability to communicate will be clear. Then I see him taking over the Louisville program that Denny built. Denny Crum did a great job working for the school for 30 years.

Why is Louisville a good fit? It has everything he wants. Pitino has a stable with quality horses. It doesn't get any better than Churchill Downs. He loves golf, and he's a member of Valhalla Country Club in the area.

One area of concern is his love for Kentucky. He had a terrific tenure in Lexington, and he wonders what effect taking the Louisville job would have. They are arch rivals, which makes this story even more interesting.

I don't feel it is the same as the analogy of, for example, Dean Smith going to Duke or Coach K leaving for North Carolina. It's not the same; Louisville and Kentucky are not in the same conference, they only meet once a year instead of the potential three shots league opponents face.

Word has it that Louisville may build a new facility. Imagine how exciting it would be for Pitino to build a successful program in a new arena!

In my opinion, Louisville is a perfect fit for Pitino. He can win and win big there. He will be able to recruit blue-chip players to a school with tradition.With all the success enjoyed under Crum, plenty of recruits are interested in Cardinal Country.

Word has it that Louisville may build a new facility. Imagine how exciting it would be for Pitino to build a successful program in a new arena! Plus, there would be a number of intriguing sideline challenges. He could hook up with his buddy, current Memphis coach John Calipari. Louisville vs. Cincinnati would be a special matchup with Pitino vs. Bob Huggins. Louisville and Kentucky would have great matchups with Tubby vs. Ricky P.

It would be a great move for Conference USA if Louisville AD Tom Jurich gets Pitino to sign on the dotted line. There is great respect for Jurich, as he has done a great job building a successful football program.

Pitino belongs back on the collegiate sidelines. He is a master motivator, teacher and entrepreneur. His style and ability to win are special. When push comes to shove, Pitino will realize the best job available for him and his family is in Louisville.