Louisville - Pitino

[bleedXblue]

Curious to know what everyone else thinks about Pitino and Louisville. After I saw last week that he makes 6 Million a year, almost double the next highest paid coach in America I started to think about their NCAA tourney success during his tenure.

Did you know during Pitino's tenure ?

1. They've had more NIT appearances than Final 4's ( 2 to 1)
2. They've had 3 First round exits
3. They have 2 Second round exits
4. The last 2 years they have lost in the First round

Not sure that the kind of success that 6 Mil a year deserves.

And after the public humiliation over his affair, you've got to believe that some of the Cardinal faithful are getting a little restless.

[boozehound]

Are you sure that $6MM is all salary, or does that include the value of all endorsements, etc.?

I didn't think that any coach was making $6MM in salary a year.

Regardless, they do have to be getting a little restless...

[xavierj]

No his $6 million was inflated for the year they used because he was paid a one time bonus of $3.5 million for fulfilling the first 3 years of his contract. He makes $3 million which is still ridiculous.

[XU 87]

In ten years, he's won 20+ games 9 times, except for his first year, when he won 19. He's been to the NCAA 8 times. He's been to one final four and two elite 8's. I'd say that's a pretty decent record.

[Xavgrad08]

Last year Louisville was the 3rd most profitable baskeball team in the country, with a profit of 16.9 million. Forbes predicts that Louisville will be the most profitable b ball team in 2011 because of the new arena.

Louisville's athletic director Tom Jurich said the new arena would not have been possible without Rick Pitino. I have no idea if that is true, or if Jurich is just embellishing. Either way, since Rick has been at Louisvill profit has gone up. So from a financial perspective he has been worth it. From a wins and loss persepective he is probably over paid.

[bleedXblue]

they have a great following...you could put just about anybody with some coaching ability there and they would win.

[LA Muskie]

Pitino coaches an exciting brand of basketball -- from the casual fan's perspective, probably the most fun style in the game. Because it relies so much on offensive production, it doesn't correlate particularly well to tournaments where a single off night sends you home. But with the talent he gets, he's rarely going to win fewer than 20 games, and will almost always be in the hunt if they go on a hot streak.

[Masterofreality]

Who cares? Louisville can pay what they want.

They could put a load of manure in the middle of the YUM Center, color it cardinal, call it a basketball game and they would get 21,000 in there.

If they wanna pay a White suited "quick shot" artist multi-millions, let 'em. Nobody else will.

[SixFig]

Good thing Louisville doesn't pay by the second.

[XU 87]

Pitino coaches an exciting brand of basketball -- from the casual fan's perspective, probably the most fun style in the game. Because it relies so much on offensive production, it doesn't correlate particularly well to tournaments where a single off night sends you home. But with the talent he gets, he's rarely going to win fewer than 20 games, and will almost always be in the hunt if they go on a hot streak.

Pitino has been to four Elite Eights and four more final fours (with three different teams.) He has won a national championship and lost in the final in another. Say what you want about him personally, but the guy can coach, and can also coach in the tourney.

[LA Muskie]

Pitino has been to four Elite Eights and four more final fours (with three different teams.) He has won a national championship and lost in the final in another. Say what you want about him personally, but the guy can coach, and can also coach in the tourney.
You're not going to hear any disagreement from me. He may be slimy (and as an Italian-American, I hate when the slimy ones are also Italian-Americans), but he's a winner. (Please, no Charlie Sheen responses.)

[xubrew]

Louisville is interesting. They've had four coaches since 1944, and one of those only lasted a few years because of health problems. They don't have a history of running people off. How many schools have had just four coaches since World War II, and not ever fired one?? I'd venture to say that they're the only one.

They're not going to get rid of Pitino, and I can't really think of a reason as to why they would want to. I believe Pitino has been at Louisville now longer than he's been any place else. I think this was one of his best coaching jobs since he's been there. Yeah, they lost in the tournament early, but that shouldn't completely cancel out how much better the team looked in February and early March as opposed to the beginning of the year. They beat UConn twice, and lost to them by just three in the Big East Championship game, so it wasn't as if their season went completely to crap. They were really playing good ball. They just fell on their face in the tournament. It happens.

[GoMuskies]

How many schools have had just four coaches since World War II, and not ever fired one?? I'd venture to say that they're the only one.


If you don't think Louisville fired Denny Crum, then there are probably lots of programs who haven't had to "fire" a coach.

[xubrew]

If you don't think Louisville fired Denny Crum, then there are probably lots of programs who haven't had to "fire" a coach.

Well, very rarely is any coach technically fired in the sense that you or I would be fired.

I'm not saying you don't have a point, but when most coaches are "fired" it also generally doesn't come with them receiving the rest of their contract, plus $5 million more to remain on staff as an ambassador (whatever that is), plus getting the court named after them.

I'm not saying they weren't looking to make a change, but when coaches are forced out, it's generally done much more forcefully than how Louisville dealt with Denny Crum. Not to mention, he had a press conference to announce his retirement in order to enable everyone to pretend that it was entirely his call.

Most of the time coaches are just bought out and told to get lost.

[GoMuskies]

Crum wanted to keep the job, and his boss wouldn't let him. That, to me, is pretty much the definition of fired. The rest is just negotiating a nice severance to not go kicking and screaming.

[XUFan09]

You're not going to hear any disagreement from me. He may be slimy (and as an Italian-American, I hate when the slimy ones are also Italian-Americans), but he's a winner. (Please, no Charlie Sheen responses.)

Must...resist...

[GuyFawkes38]

I just had to wikipedia Crum. I know the name, but didn't realize how impressive of a resume he has. He strikes me as underrated.

Sort of like the Louisville program itself. Most people don't consider it a top 10 program. But going by the numbers (on the court and off), it is.

[xubrew]

Crum wanted to keep the job, and his boss wouldn't let him. That, to me, is pretty much the definition of fired. The rest is just negotiating a nice severance to not go kicking and screaming.

You might know more details than I do. At the very least, they seem to have done way more for him in firing him than what is typically done.

[chico]

Pitino has been to four Elite Eights and four more final fours (with three different teams.) He has won a national championship and lost in the final in another. Say what you want about him personally, but the guy can coach, and can also coach in the tourney.

Pitino was the first coach to recognize how much of a game changer the 3-point shot was. I was at the Regional in Louisville when he was there with his Providence team just bombing away from the outside. It was something nobody had seen because the 3-pointer was so new then. Nobody had seen a player penetrate then dish out to a guard waiting to shoot a 3. Pitino would pull players who shot a 16 footer because he felt it was the stupidest shot to take - one foot back and you have 3.

He brought that to UK and was able to really excel because he could recruit so much better there with the "resources" they have. I always thought that if he stayed at UK he'd have more National Championships than anyone but Wooden. That program was dominant. Like UK or not, the offense they ran was a thing of beauty.

[Masterofreality]

By the way, before Monday night, two of the previous worst National Final Games were as follows- and they weren't because of "tough defense" either:

1980- Louisville 59 - UCLA 54

And maybe the all-time worst, although the Jimmy V apologists would never admit it:

1983- NC State 54 - Houston 52. Yeah, nothing like winning an ugly game on an airball and have the last play become an "instant classic". Just don't go back and watch the rest of the game. You'll either puke, or fall asleep.

[GoMuskies]

I just had to wikipedia Crum.

How old are you? 12?

[chico]

How old are you? 12?

Now why'd you have to go and insult 12 year olds like that?

[xubrew]

I just had to wikipedia Crum. I know the name, but didn't realize how impressive of a resume he has. He strikes me as underrated.

Sort of like the Louisville program itself. Most people don't consider it a top 10 program. But going by the numbers (on the court and off), it is.

Denny Crum is in the Hall of Fame. I'd say that's being rated pretty high.

As far as Louisville being a top ten program, I guess it depends on what your criteria is and how far back you want to go. They've been to just one Final Four in 25 years. That's not to say they haven't had good teams since then, but I'd be a little hesitant to say that they're currently a top ten program.

[X-band '01]

Good thing Louisville doesn't pay by the second.

Belated public reps since ObamaHood won't let me rep you for real.

[RoseyMuskie]

How old are you? 12?

I'm a young guy, and I know who Denny Crum is and knew he was fairly successful, but that's about the extent of my knowledge on Crum. I didn't know he won a title in 86, and his last Final Four was in 86. I wasn't even alive yet. I don't think it's ridiculous at all.

[LutherRackleyRulez]

Per ESPN.....



Rick Pitino seriously considered retirement


***Pitino, 58, added he was committed to coaching for at least the next few years and has a successor in mind he would recommend to athletic director Tom Jurich. The coach he likes to replace him isn't 28-year-old son Richard Pitino, who could soon join the program as associate head coach, but rather Butler's Brad Stevens.





http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/29817/rick-pitino-seriously-considered-retirement

[GuyFawkes38]

As far as Louisville being a top ten program, I guess it depends on what your criteria is and how far back you want to go. They've been to just one Final Four in 25 years. That's not to say they haven't had good teams since then, but I'd be a little hesitant to say that they're currently a top ten program.

Just looking at the numbers, Indiana and Louisville aren't too far off. Yet it seems like IU is regarded as much more of an elite program.

I think Kentucky overshadows Louisville a bit.

[xubrew]

Just looking at the numbers, Indiana and Louisville aren't too far off. Yet it seems like IU is regarded as much more of an elite program.

I think Kentucky overshadows Louisville a bit.

Well, in looking at the numbers Indiana's run to the 2002 final marks their only Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1994. They're not exactly on my list of current top ten programs either...