Pitino on Gophers job: “I am here forever long as they’ll have me"

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

There’s been talk for awhile that Richard Pitino will pursue the right opportunity to move on from his position as head basketball coach for the men’s program at the University of Minnesota. It’s been gossiped that he doesn’t like this area and welcomes the thought of moving out East to live and coach.

Pitino’s hometown is Boston. He attended high school at St. Sebastian’s in Needham, Mass. After college at Providence he had assistant coaching experiences at Northeastern, Duquesne, Louisville and Florida before becoming, at 29 years old, head coach for Florida Atlantic. Family and friends in the East live a long way from Minneapolis.

This fall Pitino begins his sixth season at Minnesota with a contract that runs through 2022. What does he say about rumors he wants to move on if given the opportunity to head East?

“I’ve signed two extensions since I have been here. I’d sign another one right now if (athletic director) Mark Coyle would offer it to me,” Pitino told Sports Headliners during a one-on-one interview this week. “I am from back East but I consider Minnesota home. I’ve had two children born here. I am ingrained into the community. My wife (Jill) and I love it here. We’ve met some great friends.”

To Pitino’s pleasure, he has witnessed major changes in the athletic department since he was hired as Minnesota’s head coach in 2013. The new $160 million Athlete’s Village, with all its amenities including for basketball, is a dramatic difference maker for impressing recruits and serving his players. Upgrades have been made to historic Williams Arena and Pitino has experienced how that building can give his team a special home court advantage in big games.

For those reasons and others Pitino said his job “checks all the boxes” for a place he wants to be. That checklist includes strong academics at the U and Pitino made it clear during the interview how he values the kind of student-athlete experience the coach said he wants for his players at Minnesota.

Add up all the positives and Pitino describes himself as “fortunate” to have the Gopher job. “I am here forever long as they’ll have me,” he said.

In the years ahead Pitino expects his teams to compete for Big Ten championships. “Yeah, now that we’ve got all the pieces (resources),” he said. “Two years ago we finished fourth (in the standings). I thought last year, if we had stayed healthy, we could have won it. So I think we’ll bounce back this year, have a really good team.

“The biggest thing is …it’s a fine line between the top of this league and the middle and the bottom. It can be a lucky free throw here, a bounce there, a lucky call by the ref.

“I’ve been here five years. I really thought for four years we had as good of a chance to be at the top of it as any. Certainly my third year we were really rebuilding, but we’ve been close (other seasons) and I think we’ll be back there this year.”

The Gophers started last season at 13-3 and were nationally ranked. By January, though, injuries to key players and the suspension of center Reggie Lynch had the Gophers in big trouble and headed toward a final Big Ten record of 4-14.

“Last year was hard because we felt that could be a special team,” Pitino said. “The rug was pulled out from underneath us with a lot of things that we couldn’t control. The biggest thing you learn is just keeping coaching those guys. Every day there is something you can do to make them better. Make them stronger.”

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

He coached at Florida International, not Florida Atlantic, but I liked the rest of it. His recruiting has remained solid. Obviously a slow start to the 2019 class, but we do have a top 100 out of state commit in the fold, and the quantity of high major level in state talent seems to be on a consistent rise. If we can luck out and avoid the injury bug, I think in the long run Pitino can keep us as a top half Big Ten team and contend for tournament bids most years.
 


His recruiting has remained solid. Obviously a slow start to the 2019 class, but we do have a top 100 out of state commit in the fold, and the quantity of high major level in state talent seems to be on a consistent rise. If we can luck out and avoid the injury bug, I think in the long run Pitino can keep us as a top half Big Ten team and contend for tournament bids most years.

Ditto.

JTG
 

I'm not questioning Pitino's sincerity, but in college sports, a year can be a lifetime. situations can change very quickly. Maybe Pitino is here for another 20 years. That is possible. But, it's also possible that he winds up leaving.

I just have a feeling that, in today's game, the Dean Smith type situations where a coach stays at the same school for decades is going to be very rare if not extinct.
 



I'm not questioning Pitino's sincerity, but in college sports, a year can be a lifetime. situations can change very quickly. Maybe Pitino is here for another 20 years. That is possible. But, it's also possible that he winds up leaving.

I just have a feeling that, in today's game, the Dean Smith type situations where a coach stays at the same school for decades is going to be very rare if not extinct.

And what gives you that feeling? A B1G job is a destination job, we have a change over from the old guard, but there isn’t a lot of B1G coaches looking for their next gig. Unless he is fired, he isn’t going anywhere. He has what he wants here to build a top level program.


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And what gives you that feeling? A B1G job is a destination job, we have a change over from the old guard, but there isn’t a lot of B1G coaches looking for their next gig. Unless he is fired, he isn’t going anywhere. He has what he wants here to build a top level program.

Agreed. Pitino loves coaching in the Big 10. There might be another conference that he would love just as much but it probably wouldn't be in a place where he wants to live with his wife and raise their kids. Pitino isn't going anywhere.
 

And what gives you that feeling? A B1G job is a destination job, we have a change over from the old guard, but there isn’t a lot of B1G coaches looking for their next gig. Unless he is fired, he isn’t going anywhere. He has what he wants here to build a top level program.


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Agreed, plus Minneapolis holds a lot of advantages. We have a professional sports team in basically every sport now with soccer being added. Great place to raise his family. Facilities that matchup with probably any other facility in the country.

One big run for the Gophers basketball team could be all thats needed for Minnesota to find consistency, and show the instate kids they don't have to go far away to find success. We've toyed with it in the past couple years, but a Springs injury in the B1G tourney/Mason hip injury in NCAA's derail that year, Lynch suspension/Coffey injury derail last year. As soon as that stigma is broke and kids see the Gophers make a run, it could become the marque job in the B1G when you combine everything from above.
 



I could be wrong, but isn't there not a whole lot of turnovers in coaching in the Big Ten?
 

I could be wrong, but isn't there not a whole lot of turnovers in coaching in the Big Ten?

Correct, at least to what I remember. Only coaches that have left recently were given the axe.
 

As soon as that stigma is broke and kids see the Gophers make a run, it could become the marque job in the B1G when you combine everything from above.

And if my aunt spontaneously grew testicles, she'd become my uncle.
 

And what gives you that feeling? A B1G job is a destination job, we have a change over from the old guard, but there isn’t a lot of B1G coaches looking for their next gig. Unless he is fired, he isn’t going anywhere. He has what he wants here to build a top level program.


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He is not going anywhere. NONE of the other 35 or so better jobs are even remotely interested. He would have to win a conference title or two to move onto anyones top 40 coaches. He can and should win here.
 



And if my aunt spontaneously grew testicles, she'd become my uncle.

I'm not even talking about a final four run. Or it could be a year where the Gophers sit in the top 15 for a majority of it. Its not to far away. Thats all I have to say
 

I'm not even talking about a final four run. Or it could be a year where the Gophers sit in the top 15 for a majority of it. Its not to far away. Thats all I have to say
Agree with this. Healthy and this year is a very good team.
 


I'm not even talking about a final four run. Or it could be a year where the Gophers sit in the top 15 for a majority of it. Its not to far away. Thats all I have to say

You said, "...could become the marque [sic] job in the B1G". That is never going to happen.
 

You said, "...could become the marque [sic] job in the B1G". That is never going to happen.

What is wrong with a little positive thought? I usually check myself up when I consider saying “That is never going to happen.”
 

You said, "...could become the marque [sic] job in the B1G". That is never going to happen.

So you don't think it is possible for the U to become a top level B1G job, Aunt dp? (It is hard to distinguish which job would actually be the "best".)
 


As of today, it's a moot point.

In order to see what Pitino would do, first the Gophers would have to win - and I mean win significantly - like win a Conference Title, or make a big run in the NCAA tournament.

After that, if a top-20 level program came calling, then and only then would we find out whether Pitino is here for life.

If a Kentucky, Kansas, Villanova level program waved a big sack of cash under Pitino's nose, and he said "No, I'm A Gopher for life," then great. But we don't know how he would react in that situation until he's actually in that situation.

So saying "he would never leave" is just speculation. It's like people who talk about what they would do if they win the lottery. I suspect a lot of them would find reality is a lot different than fantasy.
 

Short of Pitino developing a team that is in the top half of the B1G for the next 2-3 years. Blue bloods ain't coming calling. But he could get a hefty contract extension if he does this and may very well be on his way to an Izzo like run at Minny. First he has to recruit for 2019 and 2020 by winning this year.
 

Short of Pitino developing a team that is in the top half of the B1G for the next 2-3 years. Blue bloods ain't coming calling. But he could get a hefty contract extension if he does this and may very well be on his way to an Izzo like run at Minny. First he has to recruit for 2019 and 2020 by winning this year.

A Izzo like run is a 25 year run of excellence. It covers 6 conference titles and 7 final 4's. Lets go for 3 straight years of being in the top 3 with a couple conference titles before he would even be remotely considered to be a top 20 coach and a better program candidate. Right now the resume is worse than mediocre. Win the conference right now, it is year 6.
 

A Izzo like run is a 25 year run of excellence. It covers 6 conference titles and 7 final 4's. Lets go for 3 straight years of being in the top 3 with a couple conference titles before he would even be remotely considered to be a top 20 coach and a better program candidate. Right now the resume is worse than mediocre. Win the conference right now, it is year 6.

With the exception of Saint Tommy's shenanigans. Wow.
 




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