Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino reportedly accepted the head coaching job with Greek EuroLeague power Panathinaikos of Athens, according to his agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Pitino, a member of Naismith Hall of Fame, is scheduled to coach his first game Dec. 27. But there may be hitch. Dick Vitale, who was doing analysis on the Duke-Texas Tech game from the Garden, said he had spoken with Pitino, who was unsure of his decision and needed to talk about it with family.
If Pitno takes the job, he will inherit a talented, but overachieving roster that includes several former NBA players. Panathinaikos, which won the Greek League the past two seasons and won EuroLeague championships in 2007, 2009 and 2011, playoffs,started this season 6-7 in EuroLeague competition, falling to 10th place in the 16-team Turkish Airlines sponsored league. The team’s owner Dimitrios Giannakopoulous has a reputation for a volcanic temper. He was fined $150,000 in 2015 after he barged into the referee’s room and threatened to kill the officials and their families after a victory over CSKA Moscow.
Panathinaikos’ roster includes veteran guard Nick Calathes from the NBA Memphis Grizzlies, center Georgios Papagiannis from the NBA Portland Trail Blazers, Kansas guard Keith Langford, Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas, Maryland star James Gist and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo, an MVP candidate who plays for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks.
Pitino told ESPN he was using this opportunity to coach again in hopes of becoming a candidate for NBA head coaching vacancies. “I think the league is going to get younger and player development will become even more important to every organization,” he said. “That’s my forte. I believe I can help an organization find a pathway to success,’’ he said.
Pitino’s statement to ESPN was in direct contrast to comments he made in early September when he announced he was done coaching. He hired Rosenhaus, a high-profile NFL coach, to represent him. Rosenhaus’ company represents two NBA players—Portland’s first-round pick Anfernee Simons and Clippers center Montrel Harrell.
Pitino, 66, coached Kentucky and rival Louisville to national championships in 1996 and 2013, reaching five NCAA final Fours. He was fired by Louisville in the wake of an FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball while he was the coach of the Cards, although testimony and recordings suggested he was unaware of payments made to the family of Louisville recruit Brian Bowen Jr. The FBI probe was one of a series into the Louisville program under Pitino, including a investigation into strippers and prostitutes used in recruiting visits with players.
Pitino is a talented enough coach to make a return to the NBA, provided he can convince an owner general manager he can subvert his ego in the player evaluation and decision-making process. Pitino was successful as a head coach with the Knicks for two years, winning the Atlantic Division title twice in 1988 and 1989 before taking the Kentucky job. He had less success when he left the Blue Grass and signed as president/coach with the Boston Celtics in 1997. He lasted less than four years, posting a 102-146 record before resigning in his fourth season in 2000-2001.
Pitino claimed he is not looking for total control at this stage in his life and just wanted to fit into an organization.
