Pitino hired by Minny

[PhotoHawk]

Let's hope the apple fell at least a few yards from the tree in terms of coaching pedigree.

Sources -- Minnesota Golden Gophers reach agreement with Richard Pitino - ESPN

 

[hawkfan33]

Pitino interviewed for the Siena job too, but didn't make it to the second round of interviews.

 

[HawkPrdatr40]

Who??

What an embarassment for Minnesota.. He coaches 1- year at FIU goes 18-14 and now heading to the Big Ten. Seriously that is funny stuff right there.

 

[1hawkeye1]

You sure this didn't come from The Onion?

 

[HawkeyeShane]

Just wait til those dumbsh!ts find out that it's not Rick...

 

[JHHawk]

Just wait til those dumbsh!ts find out that it's not Rick...

Hey, he did coach against Louisville this year....isn't that the same as coaching Louisville?
Got beat. One of his two games vs BCS conference teams...Boston College the other...he is 0-2. Seems like enough experience to me...LOL.

 

[doclee]

Just wait til those dumbsh!ts find out that it's not Rick...

Great shot, Hawkeye...I about fell off my chair laughing! (no sarcasm)

 

[RocknRollface]

Wow. You fired Tubby for a 30 year old?

This makes UCLAs hire look good.

 

[TheGoodFella]

This is good hire IMO. Dude turned that team around after Zeke put em in the toilet. It's early but NW and Minny did well

 

[TheGoodFella]

Wow. You fired Tubby for a 30 year old?

This makes UCLAs hire look good.

Ummm no hire makes UCLAs look good

 

[hawkdrummer1]

First he bought off BCS football opponents for big $

Then he bought out Tubby for big $

Now he hires a 30 yr-old with bare bones experience

Norwood Teague better be renting... he's not gonna be in Minnesota long.

 

[hawkdrummer1]

This is my favorite comment from the Gopher site...

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Was Pat Knight not available?

 

[dmShortSaledude]

This is my favorite comment from the Gopher site...

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Was Pat Knight not available?

Funny

 

[bighawkeyedaddy]

If his last name wasn't Pitino he would be a 2nd tier bench coach at some Southern Conference school. Good hire Gophers.

 

[ssckelley]

So now the B1G has 2 coaches that are sons of popular coaches, Pitino and Collins. Is there a Phil Jackson Jr out there or a Patrick Riley someone could hire?

 

[NEIChawk]

Slim pickins indeed....

 

[HerkeyHawk]

That's like being friends with Jesus' brother, Jerry Christ-the plumber.

 

[ssckelley]

I cannot believe someone like Ben Howland would not have taken this job. I know he got fired from UCLA but the job he did there would be more than adequate for a program like Minnesota.

 

[volhawk50]

I cannot believe someone like Ben Howland would not have taken this job. I know he got fired from UCLA but the job he did there would be more than adequate for a program like Minnesota.

the job he did there is more than adequate for him to not be fired from UCLA. From Wikipedia: "Howland became the first men's coach in college basketball history to be fired immediately after winning an outright power-conference title... He is one of only three active coaches to compete in three consecutive Final Fours. The other two are Tom Izzo and Mike Krzyzewski."

 

[TritonHawkeye]

The chance of this hire being successful is slim, whereas the possibility of failure is incredibly large. I can't figure out why an AD would put his job on the line for such a risky hire.

Both MN and UCLA played their hands very poorly and would have been better to hold what they had than go all in on such risks.