Pitino Accepts Louisville Job

L O U I S V I L L E, Ky., March 22, 2001 -- In the end, Rick Pitino's love forKentucky outweighed the opinions of a few bitter Wildcats' fans.

Pitino became Louisville's coach on Wednesday, five years afterhe led Kentucky to its sixth national championship.

"Now it's my time to lead the Cardinals back to prominence,"Pitino told several hundred Louisville fans, city leaders and pastand present players at a pep rally where he was introduced.

Fear of Backlash Nearly Sent Him to Michigan

About six hours earlier, Pitino was ready to turn downLouisville and fill Michigan's coaching vacancy. His wife, Joanne,talked him out of it.

"She said, 'I think you love the state of Kentucky, you lovethe people you met at UofL. I think you should go back to the placeyou love,"' Pitino said.

Pitino had said his biggest reservation about accepting theLouisville job was the backlash from UK fans who felt jilted hewould even consider coaching the Wildcats' archrival.

Pitino said Wednesday UK fans should respect his decision.

"When I took over [Kentucky], everyone was embarrassed,"Pitino said. "It had to be built back up with integrity. When Ileft, it was not only built up, but it was a model program.

"One game a year, we'll get it on. Outside of that, I'll alwaysroot for them."

Aggressive Courtship

Pitino resigned as coach and president of the Boston Celtics inJanuary after 3½ disappointing seasons.

His hiring at Louisville follows a bold, aggressive courtship byathletic director Tom Jurich, who acted as a one-man searchcommittee. Jurich said two weeks ago that Pitino was his onlycandidate for the job.

"It's been the year from hell, but I see heaven on thehorizon," Jurich said.

Pitino has not signed a contract, but Jurich said he's agreed toa six-year deal, worth about $1 million per year. Pitino said moneywas not a factor in his decision.

"I am back in the state that I love, coaching at a greatuniversity that hasn't had an opening in 30 years," Pitino said."I'm totally pumped up. I can't wait to get started."

Jurich flew to Pitino's Miami home on March 9 and persuaded himto visit the Louisville campus last week.

Pitino left impressed, but said he wanted to consult his familybefore making a decision. He worked the NCAA Midwest Regional inDayton, Ohio, as an analyst for CBS before flying to Boston to meethis family Sunday night.

His wife and two youngest children — Ryan, 10, and Jaclyn, 8 —attended Wednesday's pep rally.

Replacing a Legend

Pitino replaces Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum, who retired aftermonths of strained relations with Jurich. The 64-year-old Crum, wholed Louisville to NCAA championships in 1980 and '86, had twoseasons left on his contract, but accepted a $7 million buyout.

Speculation began immediately that Pitino was Jurich's topchoice, and even former Louisville players voiced support.

"This was the guy we had to have," Jurich said. "There was noother answer to fixing this program."

Darrell Griffith, the school's all-time leading scorer and starof its 1980 national championship team, was thrilled withWednesday's announcement.

"The mere mention of his name alongside this program will boostits stature. He's the most wanted coach out there," Griffith said."It's also a great compliment to Coach Crum that this program hasattracted someone the caliber of Coach Pitino."

Pitino, 48, took the Celtics' job in 1997 after eight seasons atKentucky that solidified his reputation as a master rebuilder. Hepreviously turned around mediocre programs at Boston University andProvidence, guiding both to the NCAA tournament. He also coachedthe New York Knicks from 1987-89.

The season before Pitino arrived at Kentucky, the team went13-19 — its first losing record in 62 years — and was hit with NCAAprobation. He inherits a Louisville program in similar disarray.

The Cardinals finished this season 12-19, capping the worstfour-year run in Crum's 30 years. Louisville is 62-62 sincereaching the NCAA regional finals in 1997 and was twice put onprobation in the 1990s.

The school hopes Pitino can guide the Cardinals back to thenational prominence they enjoyed in the 1980s.

"It doesn't happen with a coach arriving, it happens byrecruiting good student-athletes, it happens by improving thecurrent players," Pitino said. "It's going to take someoutstanding recruiting to turn things around. But it won't happenunless we turn around the players that are currently here. Andthat's what I fully intend to do.

"Tom said the current players know what's in store for them. Nothey don't. They have no concept of what's in store."

Nonetheless, the current players can't wait to start practicing.

"Every one of us is excited," said freshman guard BryantNorthern. "I mean, how many guys get to play for not one, but twonational champion coaches in their lifetime? I get butterflies justthinking about it."

History of Success in Kentucky

It took Pitino three seasons to return Kentucky to prominence.The Wildcats went 14-14 in his first season and 22-6 in his second.

In his third, the Wildcats went 29-7, losing to Duke in thememorable 1992 East Regional final.

Kentucky reached the Final Four the following season and went124-19 over the next four, winning the school's sixth nationaltitle in 1996. The Wildcats reached the title game in 1997, losingto Arizona, before Pitino accepted a 10-year, $50 million contractto coach the Celtics.

Pitino turned the Wildcats over to Tubby Smith, a formerassistant. Smith congratulated Louisville from Philadelphia, whereKentucky is preparing to play Southern California on Thursday inthe East Regional semifinals.

"They're getting one of the great coaches in basketball,"Smith said. "I'll welcome him back."