[ad_1]
INDIANAPOLIS – After guiding Iona to the NCAA Men’s Tournament in his first season as a coach, Rick Pitino has no plans to leave.
Pitino said on Saturday he didn’t want “to be a part of the so-called big time anymore” as the Gaels’ season ended in a 68-55 loss to the No.2 seed Alabama in the Premier League. round of the tournament at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Iona, a No.15 seed in the Eastern Region, overcame a long hiatus to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament under Pitino, who has played 22 NCAA tournaments with five different schedules.
He returned to college basketball this season after coaching in the EuroLeague for Greek club Panathinaikos.
Pitino coached Louisville from 2001 to 2017, winning a national title and reaching three Final Fours and six Elite Eights. He was fired in October 2017 as part of a federal investigation into college basketball fraud and corruption. Pitino appeared to be referring to his departure on Saturday, saying, “I’m not put off by the big shows, I’m baffled by what happened to me.”
“It’s no longer about me trying to climb ladders, to earn more money,” he added. “I am at a good place in my life. I can train six, seven more years, God willing, just try to make the young men better, try to bring the program to heights that it never did. That’s all I planned. That’s all I planned. a great place. There are things that suck about being 68. What’s great is being in Iona, being able to teach without anyone bothering you, just making the players better. “
Prior to Louisville, Pitino spent eight seasons in Kentucky, winning a national title in 1996 and completing three Final Fours and four Elite Eights.
“I want to take a smaller school, like a Providence, like an Iona, a little school and try to make it big,” said Pitino, who made his first Final Four as a Providence coach in 1987. “But I didn’t want to be a part of I don’t have to look over my shoulder anymore to see who I’m going to trust. To be completely honest with you, I don’t have to look over my shoulder anymore. shoulder and see who I’m gonna trust, who I’m not gonna trust.
“I am in Heaven right now, and where I need to be.”
Pitino is looking forward to more success at Iona, saying the team would be “much better” in their second season. He noted several young players and an improved schedule that he believes could make the Gaels a contender for an NCAA tournament berth in the years to come. Pitino listed future home games against Seton Hall and BYU at Madison Square Garden, and challenged his son, Richard, the new coach of New Mexico, to face “the mighty Gaels” next season.
“We just need to improve the program, take the next step,” he said. “We will take the next step. There is no doubt in my mind that Iona will be a force to be reckoned with on the road.”
[ad_2]
Source link