It feels like a lifetime since the NCAA canceled its basketball tournament in March over concerns about the spread of Covid-19, but after a long summer, college basketball has returned. This year is going to be drastically different because attendance is barred or limited, scheduling will constantly be up in the air as schools attempt to manage outbreaks of Covid-19, and the tournament might not be played until May. Beneath all of the craziness is the return of Rick Pitino to the coaching ranks.
The 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee, Rick Pitino, has put together an impressive career as one of the winningest college coaches of all-time, but his reputation is tainted by controversy. He started his Head Coaching career at Hawaii as an interim for the final six games of the 1975/76 season going 2-4 with the Rainbow Warriors. The Rainbow Warriors did not make it to the tournament. Pitino then went on to coach Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, and then Louisville. All of those programs made it to the tournament at least once under his leadership. Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville all made it to the Final Four or beyond with Pitino at the helm. All of this success, however, came crashing down in 2015 when Pitino was indicated in several key NCAA infractions.
From 2015 through 2017, the NCAA investigated reports of pay-to-play and sex-to-play schemes operated by top officials in the Louisville men’s basketball program, which included Head Coach Rick Pitino. The violations took place from the 2011/12 season through the 2014/15 season. The NCAA ruled that while Pitino was not directly involved in the schemes, he had direct knowledge of what was happening and failed to report those violations to the athletic department. As punishment for these infractions, Louisville was forced to vacate all tournament results from 2011 through 2015, which included a Final Four, Elite Eight, Sweet 16, and a National Championship. Louisville was also ineligible for postseason play in the 2015/16 season. Pitino was forced to vacate all of his wins in that same stretch and was fired from the school following the 2016/17 season. This was thought to be the end for Pitino as he became an outcast among NCAA coaches and athletic directors.
While his exit from coaching was deserved, it’s puzzling the way he has been viewed in contrast to other coaches that have been busted for NCAA infractions. For example, John Calipari was forced to vacate his 1995/96 Final Four with UMass and all of his wins from the 2007/08 season, including the national runner-up with Memphis. In college football, Bobby Bowden was forced to vacate multiple games for NCAA violations. U of A basketball coach Sean Miller has faced scrutiny from the NCAA over what they have described as a lack of institutional control but hasn’t been punished yet. None of these coaches lost their jobs as a direct result of rule violations. They just move on to other teams, and in Miller’s case, he still has a job. Now admittedly, none of those programs were wrapped up in sex scandals, so perhaps the level of misconduct on behalf of Pitino and the entire Lousiville basketball program was so extreme that being punished wasn’t enough. He had to be outcast completely. At any rate, the NCAA is very selective in the way rulebreakers get treated.
Iona College hired Pitino in an under-the-radar move on March 14th. This decision by Iona gives Pitino a second chance at coaching, which is rarely afforded to coaches who get booted out. He is inheriting a Gaels team that has made the NCAA Tournament four straight years starting in 2016. Iona is hoping that Pitino’s coaching record will take them to the next level. Iona’s willingness to hire Pitino shows that they are more concerned about winning than the baggage and PR headache that will inevitably come with it. Conversely, Pitino can take this as an opportunity to coach with integrity, which is something he hasn’t done in the past.
The Gaels have played three games so far and are 1-2, which includes being crushed in their opener against Seton Hall 86-64, a win against Hofstra 82-74, and another disappointing loss against Morgan State 83-72.
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