Rick Pitino not ruling out another coaching stop

Rick Pitino has left the door open a crack.

The Corridor of Famer has repeatedly mentioned Iona School would be the final cease in his legendary profession, however when requested by The Submit this week, he took a considerably completely different stance.

“My objective is to complete my profession at Iona. That doesn’t imply I wouldn’t entertain to be an NBA coach once more,” the 69-year-old Pitino mentioned from his new workplace on the New Rochelle faculty. “I can’t say [I won’t coach at another college], as a result of you then appear like a liar in the event you ever do. My whole motive is to remain right here. I’m a New Yorker. I need to finish my profession in New York. I dwell in a spot I need to dwell. However you by no means know.”

The most important issue, Pitino mentioned, is the varsity’s management remaining in place and sharing the identical aspirations as he does for this system. Since Pitino arrived, the administration has walked the stroll. Iona, the heavy MAAC favourite with a powerful 17-3 report heading right into a sport Sunday in opposition to St. Peter’s, has remade the basketball workplaces, weight room and locker room for each the lads’s and ladies’s groups, and added a fueling station for gamers, which affords limitless meals.

Rick Pitino when he was launched as coach of the Knicks in 1987.

AP

“So long as they've the identical targets I've, I've no purpose to depart,” mentioned Pitino, who needs to educate for as much as seven extra years. “[They want] to make it higher and higher and higher.”

Pitino mentioned after reaching the NCAA Match final March in his first season at Iona, a number of “high-powered faculties” reached out to him, however he wasn’t . These faculties, in response to sources, have been Indiana and UNLV. The Maryland job lately opened, after the varsity parted methods with Mark Turgeon in early December, and there's hypothesis the Massive Ten faculty will take an extended take a look at Pitino, who's grossly underpaid at lower than $1 million per season. He does have a $5 million buyout and three years remaining on his contract after this one, sources mentioned.

Requested if he would have curiosity in Maryland, Pitino mentioned he’s “full bore” to remain at Iona subsequent 12 months. He finally turned the topic to his son Richard, who's now teaching at New Mexico.

“If he turns that program round, in three years he’s going to should say, ‘OK, why would I depart? I transfer up a ladder to a greater faculty, a greater convention, I make more cash. I dwell nearer to my household,’ ” Pitino mentioned. “The motive for me is completely different. Cash will not be an element in any respect. The extent will not be an element. I’ve already been the Knicks, Celtics coach, Kentucky, Louisville coach. There needs to be one thing.”

When it was steered he needs to win massive once more and coach in a Remaining 4, Pitino smiled as if he have been being issued a problem.

“I believe we are able to do it right here,” he mentioned. “John Calipari and I are the one coaches to take three completely different faculties to a Remaining 4. I want to eliminate him on my résumé.”