Rick Pitino
Rick Pitino
Richard Andrew "Rick" Pitino is an American basketball coach. Since 2001, he has been the head coach at the University of Louisville, and coached the Cardinals to the 2013 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship. As a college head coach, Pitino has also served at Boston University, Providence College and the University of Kentucky, leading that program to the NCAA championship in 1996. In addition to his college coaching career, Pitino also served two stints in the NBA, coaching the...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionCoach
Date of Birth18 September 1952
CityNew York City, NY
CountryUnited States of America
We've never been a Top 20 team, at least not yet. Don't get carried away with beating Louisville. Any win in the Big East is great, but I wouldn't use it as a barometer.
I don't think you'll find a more competitive NIT field than the one I'm looking at with this one. We relish the challenge.
They are tough, they get after you. They have quick hands and are hard-nosed. They drive so much and draw fouls. I am impressed with them. They have the toughness to compete in the Big East. They are tough guys.
The new format is great. It's run just like the women's tournament used to be.
I've tried to talk to him about it. He's not playing with Francisco, Larry (O'Bannon) and Ellis. And they know every little move that each other makes. He's playing with all new people. They don't know each other. He's got to let the game come to him and trust his teammates. And the more he goes inside to (center) David (Padgett) the more open shots he's going to get.
Missouri State is a great team. We now know how the Missouri Valley Conference is underrated and probably Creighton and Missouri State should be in (the NCAA Tournament).
It's my wedding night, and we're in a posh New York City hotel ready to ... you know ... when I get a call. It's Jim, and he's down in the lobby and he wants to meet with me. He tells me there's this kid named Louie Orr in Cincinnati that we just have to land, and he says he needs me to get there and seal the deal. I tell him, 'Jim, it's my wedding night.' He was single at the time and totally consumed with basketball, so I guess he didn't understand.
He tried to go in the second half but could not go. I don't think it's anything serious. I'm not sure what it is.
I think they'll come back because they should. One more year and they'll be ready for the next level.
I'm extremely proud. We talked this morning and everything he said he wanted this team to do, it's done. It's really amazing to see.
They're going to have to get a coach as good as Bob Huggins, and that's not easy to find. But if they can attract someone of the caliber of Bob Huggins, they can certainly continue.
I don't get into these petty things, Kentucky-Louisville. To me, it's nonsense... There will be people at Kentucky that will have a nervous breakdown if they lose to us... They've got to put the fences up on bridges. There will be people consumed by Louisville.
I think I do regret leaving Kentucky because I took over a team with 15 wins banking everything on the Tim Duncan lottery, and once we didn't get Tim Duncan, I realized that leaving Kentucky was not a good move.
Never let anyone out work you or out hustle you. Ever.