ALBANY, N.Y. — After the last video game of his 3rd period at Iona, Rick Pitino stated he really did not understand whether he would certainly be back for a 4th — or if he would certainly be mentoring elsewhere.
Will he remain at Iona, or will he go?
“I actually do not have a response to it, to be truthful with you,” Pitino stated. “I have no concept if it is or isn’t because I’ve concentrated every little thing on this video game.”
The 70-year-old Pitino, that got to the NCAA competition with Iona for the 2nd time after a long, fabled Hall of Fame job at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville as well as the NBA, stays St. John’s No. 1 target, resources informed ESPN’s Jeff Borzello on Friday.
The 2 sides have actually had conversations, yet no bargain has actually been completed at this moment, resources stated, yet the search has actually stayed concentrated on Pitino as well as nothing else severe prospects have actually arised.
On the court, Pitino’s 13th-seeded Gaels hung difficult with No. 4 UConn on Friday prior to dropping 87-63.
For a fifty percent, it resembled Pitino could have obtained his initial win as a double-digit seed as a head train. Iona led UConn 39-37 at halftime, following what he called the very best half his group has actually played all period.
But that would certainly not last. Connecticut greater than increased up Iona in the 2nd fifty percent, drifting to the win to send out Pitino right into the mentoring inquiries he fielded as commonly the day prior to the Gaels’ first-round NCAA video game as he did later.
Before he came to the platform for his postgame press conference below, Pitino went through the corridors of MVP Arena. He desired good luck to a Drake basketball gamer — Drake as well as Miami were playing the complying with video game — and after that quit to speak for a quick minute with P.J. Carlesimo, the previous Seton Hall head train as well as present ESPN radio expert. Flanked by an armed policeman, Pitino strolled by the Iona band prior to he faced Connecticut train Dan Hurley.
He as well as Hurley welcomed, as well as he informed Hurley, “Win all of it. Win all of it. You’ve obtained the group to do it.”
It’s something he had actually repeat minutes later the dais, claiming he thought the Huskies had the features in position to possibly win a championship game.
Pitino stated he had not been ending up being psychological on the platform when he was inquired about his future. He later on discussed being pardoned in the Louisville basketball detraction as well as exactly how it took years far from his job. He stated he has actually treasured his past — both the successes as well as the blunders he made — as well as where he is currently. On Thursday, Pitino stated he would certainly take into consideration mentoring for an additional years.
Pitino had a 293-140 document at Louisville with 3 Final Fours as well as a championship game; a 219-50 document at Kentucky with 3 Final Fours as well as a nationwide title; a 42-23 document at Providence with a Final Four; as well as a 91-51 document at Boston University complying with a six-game job at Hawaii. He additionally trained in the NBA with the Knicks as well as Celtics as well as for 2 periods in Greece at Panathinaikos.
It all caused his previous 3 periods at Iona, where he went 64-22 with 2 NCAA competition looks as well as could be on the relocation once again.
“The existing is where we go to now as well as it’s frustrating for my people due to the fact that they’re a fantastic team of children,” Pitino stated. “And the future, I actually have no concept what the future might bring due to the fact that I reached check out the grand system of aspects of winning, as well as winning is extremely vital due to the fact that all of us function so hard, every train functions so difficult.
“And we played nearly an excellent video game, ideal fifty percent of the period.”
When he was pressed regarding whether he had a timeline to remain at Iona or most likely to St. John’s or probably also somewhere else, he once again had no solution.
“I actually have not place any type of assumed right into it in any way. I listen to the concern from you as well as I assume when you begin planning ahead, you constantly fall short,” Pitino stated. “We placed a great deal of initiative right into this video game, as well as I do not understand. I do not understand if it’s best for me, an additional work. I do not understand that.”
Pitino after that recognized the discussions around the St. John’s setting prior to claiming he has actually never ever seen St. John’s. Perhaps he implied in its present type, due to the fact that Pitino after that released right into a tale regarding mentoring versus fabulous St. John’s train Lou Carnesecca in 1987.
After informing the tale — Pitino constantly has a tale — he returned to something that could reveal several of his reasoning.
“You do not buy homes without checking out the garage, the upstairs, the cooking area as well as every little thing,” Pitino stated. “You do not simply acquire a home.”
About 20 mins later on, his press conference wrapped up, Pitino left — guard at his side, gaggle of media strolling behind him — quiting to briefly conversation with a number of media participants prior to getting in the Iona storage locker area as his sporting activities details supervisor stated he would not be doing anymore meetings.
Was that the last time he’ll stroll right into Iona’s storage locker area after a video game as the group’s head train? Pitino stated he does not understand. He does not have a schedule for it.
