By Christopher O’Grady
When newspaper reports on Feb. 11 linked University of Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino with the possible coaching vacancy for the New Jersey Nets of the NBA, Pitino responded that these allegations held “not one ounce of truth.” For Louisville faithful, he better be right.
Though the reports seem to be far from the truth, as not only Pitino, but also Nets president Rod Thorn, has denied them, crazier things have happened. Former University of Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly promised his team that rumors about Notre Dame were false, before signing there a month before UC competed in the Sugar Bowl. Lane Kiffin bolted from the University of Tennessee, Pete Carroll from the University of South Carolina, and John Calipari from the University of Memphis, leaving their respective fans with unfulfilled hopes of longtime success. It’s time to face it: A coach’s commitment to a school is not what it used to be. Gone are the days of John Wooden and Joe Paterno.
While there should be no reason to distrust Pitino’s assurance that he will be around for a while, any report as to the opposite should be disconcerting to U of L fans. Should Pitino leave, U of L athletic director Tom Jurich would be forced to make two big-name hires in a year. And while time will tell on new head football coach Charlie Strong, Pitino is the one foundation U of L athletics have rested on, since his arrival in 2001. His image graces nearly every advertising campaign citywide. And as long as he remains, Louisville will be an attractive destination for top-notch recruits, regardless of what happens 70 miles down I-65. While U of L may seem to be a nice place for a rising coach to come to build his legacy, it may be too much to ask for Cardinal sports fans to wait for two untested coaches to prove their worth.
But fans should find some security in the thought that coaching the Nets is a career killer. The team is in a desolate position, to say the least. Their 4-48 record is on pace with the all-time worst mark for wins, from the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition, the team is in the midst of a swirling transition to a new owner—Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov—and rumors of a move to Brooklyn. Though coaching in the NBA would sound like an awfully sweet deal, it would more likely be a return to anonymity. Enticements that could include more power and influence, a reunion with former U of L star Terrence Williams and a massive contract would certainly make a strong appeal. But if Pitino is as wise as we give him credit for, he will surely stick to his hard line: “I have no interest, period.”
Though they have every indication of falsehood, reports that Rick Pitino may not be leading the Cards on the bench at the new arena should cause Cardinal fans to sleep just a little bit less easily.
