GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Rick Pitino candidly admitted Sunday
that he wants to get back into college coaching. He was nowhere
near as forthcoming when asked whether his return would come at
UNLV, Louisville or somewhere else.
But on Sunday night, UNLV posted a statement on its Web site
saying the former Boston Celtics and Kentucky coach won't be
working there.
"While speaking with Rick Pitino earlier this evening, he
expressed to me the fact that he didn't feel he was a good fit for
the UNLV men's basketball program," UNLV athletics director
Charles Cavagnaro said. "Obviously, we are disappointed that Coach
Pitino has reached this decision, but we are moving forward with
our continued search for a basketball coach that will benefit both
UNLV and the Las Vegas community."
Pitino attended Florida's 94-86 victory over Kentucky on Sunday.
It was the first college game he had seen live since last year's
Final Four, and he said it made him realize how much he missed it.
"I plan on coaching at the collegiate level someday again," he
said. "When that will be, I don't know."
When Denny Crum announced his retirement from Louisville last
week, Pitino was immediately rumored as a possible successor. He
said the school has not contacted him.
"I didn't even know it had opened until Denny announced his
retirement, so it hasn't piqued my interest at all," Pitino said.
"I really haven't thought about it, to tell the truth."
That was not the case with the UNLV job. He had been involved in
a long courting process with the president and athletic director at
the Las Vegas school. Most recently, his wife visited the city, and
Pitino said she enjoyed the trip.
He said he was interested in the job, but was worried about
whether he could recruit well enough from the junior college ranks
to make UNLV a national powerhouse again.
"If I think I can recruit tremendous high school players there,
then it becomes an extremely attractive job," Pitino said.
"That's what I'm struggling with. Some people I respect say you
have to recruit the junior college ranks hard. I'm not real good at
junior college recruiting because my background is not in junior
college recruiting."
Another possible factor in Pitino's thinking: Earlier this
season, the NCAA placed UNLV on probation for four years, and
denied it two scholarships for each of the next two seasons. The
school then fired coach Bill Bayno.
In January, Pitino resigned as coach and president of the
Celtics after 3½ unsuccessful seasons in which he went 102-146 and
failed to make the playoffs.
He also coached the New York Knicks, but his reputation was
built in the college game. He took Kentucky from the depths of
probation to three Final Fours and one national title in 1996.
Before Kentucky, he took an upstart Providence team to the Final
Four. He also took Boston University to the NCAA tournament.
Some regarded his move to the Celtics as folly, although he
claims he has no regrets.
"To me, you learn everything in winning and in losing," Pitino
said. "The Boston Celtics were a tremendous source of pride for
me. The people I've met, from Red Auerbach, to Cousy to Heinsohn to
Russell, I wouldn't give up those scenarios at all."
Pitino will work the NCAA tournament for CBS as an analyst. His
25th wedding anniversary is nearing.
"Outside of that, I don't have anything in mind at all," he
said. "You take it day by day. When you're an unemployed coach,
that's what you have to do."
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