I'd love to get Pitino back with a coach in training under his wing.
I'm older than dust but I remember well what it was like during Camelot.
I'd still get Prince as the GM. Much needed if that has any legs at all.
Why are older people so opposed to bringing back Rick Pitino?
- Thread starter harlanking
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I'm older than dust but I remember well what it was like during Camelot.
I'd still get Prince as the GM. Much needed if that has any legs at all.
Would have been interesting... think our boosters would of paid out the donkey to give Pitino a shot at another championship.
and both of them were mush at the end of their careers, obviously someone else in their programs was pulling the strings. They were just figure heads.
If Kentucky needs a basketball coach in the future, I hope we can identify a younger guy that’s ready to win big at a blue blood.
It has nothing to do with ageism, but a coach that’s climbing the ladder will have a fire to succeed and ignorance to work hard.
Pitino has been there, he’s seen it all and he’s a millionaire and he wouldn’t be for long here.
Duke found Josh Scheyer, Kansas found a young Bill Self 23 years ago, Arizona found Lloyd. Kentucky needs to find our guy for the future and the long term.
We will not maintain our level of greatness by changing coaches every few seasons.
I’m all for sticking with Pope and fully supporting him another season. But, if we have another year like this one- hire Josh Shertz, he’s the next big time winner, IMO.
Thanks for answering my question. He couldn't beat Calipari, he lost to Pope this year. I don't care if he's one of the best coaches ever if he has done nothing against UK's last coach and current coach, so I would not take him over either.
Bill Self has been the best coach over the last twenty-five years (debatable with Coach K and Few), significantly ahead of Pitino, and I wouldn't take him as our coach (or the other two in parenthesis).
Football has far more coaching delegation than basketball, but I get your point.
I’m 76 and I’m fine with it.
Idk anyone who is legit CBB fan who would take Pope over Pitino. This seems like an emotional response vs a logical one.
Its not even close on which coach is better
You're saying that a coach who went 2-9 v. Coach Cal in the eight years their tenures overlapped, and is now 0-1 v. Mark Pope is clearly the better coach of the three, logically?
Apart from head to head wins, what is a better way of comparing coaching abilities?
Enlighten me.
B/c we remember when he took the job at our biggest rival when other jobs were available. B/c he flipped off the fan base in rupp arena like a middle school kid would… not to mention all the morally bankrupt shenanigans such as adultery and supplying hookers to young and some underaged boys. Just to mention a few good reasons.
He has performed one of his very best coaching jobs this year. St. Johns is so much better than they were in early season. I thought they would be a 500 team after watching them play us. If anything it magnifies the different levels of coaching ability between Pitino and Pope. We have regressed significantly and they have improved so ,so much. I still do want want Pitino, in his mid seventies, to return. .
My biggest thing is whether or not we can believe him on if he truly wants UK to succeed like he portrays.
Remember when he was pushing for us to hire Travis Ford or John Pelphrey? And now Mark Pope? Did he do it because he was truly happy for Pope or did he do it for his own pleasure due to his hatred for John Calipari? My guess is most of what Pitino does is for his own pleasure and not for others.
Remember when he was pushing for us to hire Travis Ford or John Pelphrey? And now Mark Pope? Did he do it because he was truly happy for Pope or did he do it for his own pleasure due to his hatred for John Calipari? My guess is most of what Pitino does is for his own pleasure and not for others.
Bring back Ricky P.
And b1tch slap every single person who wants Cal back, who will have Arkansas in the top 15 next week and wasted at least six years of our time, over Pitino, who will have fricking Saint John’s in the top 10 next week and wasted zero years of our time.
I'm soon to be 46 and I'm 
behind it. Who cares if he's 73. The POTUS is freaking 79!!!! What job is more physically demanding?
Pitino would kill it in every way imaginable and if there were rough stretches he'd tell it like it is. Back to the roots of UK basketball.
behind it. Who cares if he's 73. The POTUS is freaking 79!!!! What job is more physically demanding? Pitino would kill it in every way imaginable and if there were rough stretches he'd tell it like it is. Back to the roots of UK basketball.
I am 78 years old and have been wanting to bring him back since he left.
Pitino isnt recruiting, hes already said at his age hes just going to utilize the portal
He’s too old, he hired prostitutes for underage children in attempt to stop Calipari from kicking his teeth in year after year, he left on his own free will, he gave us the middle finger in Rupp, he just got smacked in the mouth by Pope THIS season. I mean idk, could be a few reasons.
This list is like Enigma.
You wouldn't take Self? He won the title the same year we blew them out at their place. You think KU fan or KU alum or Self give one single thought to that loss that year? You're delusional.
When Barney was whip up a fury over pitino and wanting to pick a coach that beat him in Rupp. Instead he should have had a positive narrative about Rick and hired him. Heck even if Barney couldn’t change the narrative (and it’s evident now Barney worked to put out his propaganda at various times. A real leader would have hired pitino in 2007. Should have never looked past him because he was at the rival. What a stupid move
The best thing that ever happened to Pitino’s reputation here was Pope getting hired.
He just doesn’t seem to have the years in the tank that this position requires. St. John’s is a perfect place for him. Some of the guys mentioned on this thread who coached into their 80’s were long term coaches at their respective colleges and it was a different landscape in college sports.
He's old and he's a slut........low moral character..........her bought prostitutes for recruits that were under age.......he should be in jail!
The prostitutes were legal age women.....the boys were not legal age......one was only 15-16 yrs old...........I have often wondered how much that cost the university in hush money.........according to the story one kid didn't want to participate and the assistant coach pushed him back into room with the ***** and told him to be a mam.............I would've had someone's *** in jail......
His moral character is what it is.......his time in Louisville showed his low morals..........I mean who has sex with a woman in a restaurant with onlookers?
I am nearing 40 years old. I have memories of the late Pitino years and remember the coach who was so revered in and around my home that it undoubtedly laid the foundation for my love of the game and my desire to become a coach and work in interscholastic athletics. I'm thankful that Kentucky-Pitino was able to do that for me.
That being said - It is a hard pass for me. The Louisville scandals are enough, whether they happened under your watch or unknowingly by people you are directly supervising, for me to no longer need you around my favorite team nor your opinions about my favorite team.
That being said - It is a hard pass for me. The Louisville scandals are enough, whether they happened under your watch or unknowingly by people you are directly supervising, for me to no longer need you around my favorite team nor your opinions about my favorite team.
I am not necessarily opposed, but be warned that second stints don’t usually yield first stint results in any sport.
Also, we always like to bag on IU for living perpetually in the past, yet we can’t let go of the 1990s, which was 30+ years ago.
Also, we always like to bag on IU for living perpetually in the past, yet we can’t let go of the 1990s, which was 30+ years ago.
If you have to have someone answer this, their reasons would not be reasons in your book. Would you want your kid being mentored by him? That’s where the discussion starts and ends with me.
I would have had 0 issues if they would have hired Rick Pitino when Cal left. Rick has always been the greatest UK Coach in my lifetime. I still lament him leaving after 1997 more than Cal leaving. With the talent Cal brought thru Lexington 2010 thru 2024 it was criminal he only won 1 Natty. He could have been and should have been the Nick Saban of college Basketball. I do not think he ever wins a Natty again. Rick Pitino won a Natty after leaving here. UK won 2 Natty's after he left but had he stayed I think UK would have won at least 5 between 1998 and 2025 that I am quite certain.
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