All Things Richard Pitino Assistants UPDATED 4/4: Kimani Young reportedly on staff

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KyGopherfan said:
I hope Norwood has a top rated compliance director in the athletics department.
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As a matter of fact, he does! One of the reasons people thought we had an outside shot at Brad Stevens was that we recently hired his compliance director (gave her a higher level position here), but she was more than just a compliance director at Butler... Stevens reportedly talked to her every day and could not say enough great things about her.
 

KyGopherfan said:
Pitino has already done some very shady things in the past, not illegal, but definitely pushing the envelope. Now we learn that his right hand man is a former felon. I hope Norwood has a top rated compliance director in the athletics department. We could be in for a rocky ride in a few seasons. For all the pub and articles about Pitino, I don't think I've ever heard a single person say he's a stand up guy that does things the right way. I have little confidence that he can keep the U out of hot water with the NCAA. There is such a thing as being 'too' hungry.
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Whoa there KyFan. Please elaborate. You pooped (yes pooped) some $hit. Prove it.

You normally have had a lot of interesting comments here on GopherHole, but you lost a lot of credibility with that.
 

KyGopherfan said:
Pitino is the guy who gave Pete Thamel of the NY Times the transcripts of Eric Bledsoe's grades for his expose cause Eric decided to go to Kentucky instead of Florida, where Pitino was an assistant. It's known that he was the culprit as he had access to his grades and he was the main recruiter of Bledsoe at Florida. Thamel even admitted it came from an assistant coach. I'm sure if Eric wanted to make a case out of it, he could have. There had been some sorta law or ethics rules broken. That's the biggest known story with Pitino, but there are some little smaller things that makes you question whether he is totally on the up and up. Like I said, the U better have a great compliance office cause they could definitely get a work out.
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Heresay...
Next.
 

KyGopherfan said:
Pitino is the guy who gave Pete Thamel of the NY Times the transcripts of Eric Bledsoe's grades for his expose cause Eric decided to go to Kentucky instead of Florida, where Pitino was an assistant. It's known that he was the culprit as he had access to his grades and he was the main recruiter of Bledsoe at Florida. Thamel even admitted it came from an assistant coach. I'm sure if Eric wanted to make a case out of it, he could have. There had been some sorta law or ethics rules broken. That's the biggest known story with Pitino, but there are some little smaller things that makes you question whether he is totally on the up and up. Like I said, the U better have a great compliance office cause they could definitely get a work out.
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I thought Maurice Ford the prep coach was the 'smoking gun' or carrying the smoking gun in this Bledsoe scandal story? The way Ford is portrayed in the stories at the time he hardly needed an assistant coaches help in looking bad.
 

KyGopherfan said:
Pitino is the guy who gave Pete Thamel of the NY Times the transcripts of Eric Bledsoe's grades for his expose cause Eric decided to go to Kentucky instead of Florida, where Pitino was an assistant. It's known that he was the culprit as he had access to his grades and he was the main recruiter of Bledsoe at Florida. Thamel even admitted it came from an assistant coach. I'm sure if Eric wanted to make a case out of it, he could have. There had been some sorta law or ethics rules broken. That's the biggest known story with Pitino, but there are some little smaller things that makes you question whether he is totally on the up and up. Like I said, the U better have a great compliance office cause they could definitely get a work out.
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He was? Richard Pitino had been at Florida for less than THREE WEEKS when Bledsoe committed to Kentucky.

I guess we'll just have to take your word for it.
 


tjgopher said:
He was? Richard Pitino had been at Florida for less than THREE WEEKS when Bledsoe committed to Kentucky.

I guess we'll just have to take your word for it.
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That's how good he is, it only took three weeks. Expect to hear big announcements from Jones, Vaughn and Reid in about two weeks...
 

KyGopherfan said:
Pitino is the guy who gave Pete Thamel of the NY Times the transcripts of Eric Bledsoe's grades for his expose cause Eric decided to go to Kentucky instead of Florida, where Pitino was an assistant. It's known that he was the culprit as he had access to his grades and he was the main recruiter of Bledsoe at Florida. Thamel even admitted it came from an assistant coach. I'm sure if Eric wanted to make a case out of it, he could have. There had been some sorta law or ethics rules broken. That's the biggest known story with Pitino, but there are some little smaller things that makes you question whether he is totally on the up and up. Like I said, the U better have a great compliance office cause they could definitely get a work out.
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Aren't you the guy that said "Even Calipari didn't bring players to Kentucky from Memphis?" Sure seems like facts aren't important to you and you prefer to just make things up as you go to push your agenda.
 

Parski1 said:
96 pounds of Ganja and a year in federal prison is still a story....even if it happened 15 users ago.
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Of course it's a story, I'm not surprised that KFAN picked up on it. The funny thing is in watching them make this into a really big deal.
 

GophersOnTheRise said:
Aren't you the guy that said "Even Calipari didn't bring players to Kentucky from Memphis?" Sure seems like facts aren't important to you and you prefer to just make things up as you go to push your agenda.
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The Tubby apologists are hilarious. It's shocking the amount of misinformation there is floating around about Tubby and now his replacement. I wish Tubby did as well as everyone throughout the country insisted he did at the U. Unfortunately, I had to sit through our collapses every single year. It'd be interesting to have a real discussion about Richard Pitino, but these same fools just come to the board and spam nonsense at the hopes that something can't be disproven.

Here is a hint Tubby Apologists, we also have access to google. It's not very difficult to do some digging on the claims you're making.
 




No shock - Reusse is also on the pot bust story. Did his usual shtick about "gopher diehards will complain that I'm attacking the program, when all I'm doing is reporting facts."

Having said that, I'm all for 2nd chances, but let's be honest. If IA or WI hired an assistant coach who had done a year in prison on drug charges, there would be a LOT of people on this board making snarky comments.

I certainly hope he learned something from the experience. (and, as a recovering alcoholic and drug user, I have to say 96 FREAKIN' POUNDS!!! I think the most dope I ever saw in one place was about 2 pounds. I can't imagine what 96 pounds looks like.)
 


I know the Tubby apologists are going to rip on this guy as long as he is on the team, looking at you KyGopher and Parski. But I look at this situation from another perspective. There is no way Teague, Kaler, and Pitino himself, would stick their neck out for this guy if they (A) didn't think he was incredibly valuable as a recruiter and/or coach and (B) they though there was any chance that this could end up embarrassing themselves and the University. I am confident Teague and Kaler did a lengthy background check on Young (which is probably why it took so long to confirm his hire) and that this will end up being a very beneficial hire for Pitino and the University.
 



MadtownGopher said:
I know the Tubby apologists are going to rip on this guy as long as he is on the team, looking at you KyGopher and Parski. But I look at this situation from another perspective. There is no way Teague, Kaler, and Pitino himself, would stick their neck out for this guy if they (A) didn't think he was incredibly valuable as a recruiter and/or coach and (B) they though there was any chance that this could end up embarrassing themselves and the University. I am confident Teague and Kaler did a lengthy background check on Young (which is probably why it took so long to confirm his hire) and that this will end up being a very beneficial hire for Pitino and the University.
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Best part of the story: 1998 bachelors degree in criminal justice, then 96lbs of dope a year later. Can't make it up lol...
I do agree they must have done a lot of checking around to approve the hire.
 

I'd rather a guy smoke and sell all the weed in the ENTIRE WORLD than drive drunk for one minute.
 

MadtownGopher said:
I know the Tubby apologists are going to rip on this guy as long as he is on the team, looking at you KyGopher and Parski. But I look at this situation from another perspective. There is no way Teague, Kaler, and Pitino himself, would stick their neck out for this guy if they (A) didn't think he was incredibly valuable as a recruiter and/or coach and (B) they though there was any chance that this could end up embarrassing themselves and the University. I am confident Teague and Kaler did a lengthy background check on Young (which is probably why it took so long to confirm his hire) and that this will end up being a very beneficial hire for Pitino and the University.
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I'm not ripping him at all....he deserves a chance. So don't look at me fool.
 

I only worry about the negative recruiting this causes. I'd imagine some parents may not want to have their kid play for someone with that charge.

However, it was 14 years ago and we did just have someone with a DUI on staff. So maybe it isn't that big of a deal. Will see I suppose. He does seem like a solid coach with some AAU connections and a great résumé.
 

scher215 said:
I only worry about the negative recruiting this causes. I'd imagine some parents may not want to have their kid play for someone with that charge.

However, it was 14 years ago and we did just have someone with a DUI on staff. So maybe it isn't that big of a deal. Will see I suppose. He does seem like a solid coach with some AAU connections and a great résumé.
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Nah, Tubby's kid's DUI generated alot more clicks. Spending a year in prison is small potatoes, compared to pissing off a fanboard. One is forgivable, the other is not.
 

NateDawgUM said:
I'd rather a guy smoke and sell all the weed in the ENTIRE WORLD than drive drunk for one minute.
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I'd agree completely... the important part is that he turned his life around. Its an interesting and sad story. I think by part of the story that describes his wife dying at age 38 and he being thrown into taking care of his kids alone, folks forget or soften on the other stuff. I think he has lived a lifetime in his young 38 or 40 years of life.

If Coach P likes him on staff.. I like him on staff.
 

scher215 said:
I only worry about the negative recruiting this causes. I'd imagine some parents may not want to have their kid play for someone with that charge.

However, it was 14 years ago and we did just have someone with a DUI on staff. So maybe it isn't that big of a deal. Will see I suppose. He does seem like a solid coach with some AAU connections and a great résumé.
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Or parents could look at him as someone who has been to the lowest of lows and turned his life around. Someone who could speak from experience about the temptations of life to their son and what can happen if you make the wrong choice.
 

Certainly other schools may seek to use this against the U of MN. But, the story of redemption is pretty powerful and one that will resonate with a lot of parents. Also, the story of a young African American man not only leaving a life of drugs, but also taking on the responsibility of raising children rather than abandoning them to grandma or other distant relatives is a powerful story to tell. It says a lot about Young's character and the power of redemption. The upside of this message outweighs the negatives that could be used against him.
 

tinyarch said:
Certainly other schools may seek to use this against the U of MN. But, the story of redemption is pretty powerful and one that will resonate with a lot of parents. Also, the story of a young African American man not only leaving a life of drugs, but also taking on the responsibility of raising children rather than abandoning them to grandma or other distant relatives is a powerful story to tell. It says a lot about Young's character and the power of redemption. The upside of this message outweighs the negatives that could be used against him.
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I agree he's someone to shine the spotlight on in a positive way. One thing this country is pretty terrible at is the rehabilitation of prisoners and felons into productive members of society, it's one of the reasons why our system is overpopulated and recidivism rates are so high. Young stands as an example of turning your life around after prison and becoming a better person than in visual who entered prison.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
No shock - Reusse is also on the pot bust story. Did his usual shtick about "gopher diehards will complain that I'm attacking the program, when all I'm doing is reporting facts."

Having said that, I'm all for 2nd chances, but let's be honest. If IA or WI hired an assistant coach who had done a year in prison on drug charges, there would be a LOT of people on this board making snarky comments.

I certainly hope he learned something from the experience. (and, as a recovering alcoholic and drug user, I have to say 96 FREAKIN' POUNDS!!! I think the most dope I ever saw in one place was about 2 pounds. I can't imagine what 96 pounds looks like.)
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Doesn't one of Mr. Reusse's current employers shell out a paycheck to someone who's getting a second chance after making some pretty big mistakes?
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
Doesn't one of Mr. Reusse's current employers shell out a paycheck to someone who's getting a second chance after making some pretty big mistakes?
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Exactly, Breakin'....I'm no stranger to the wacky tobacky in the past and truth be told think it should be legalized but that is for another Off Topic thread. If my employer held me accountable for everything I did back in my early 20's, I'd be in big trouble. I handle all of the interviewing/hiring for a sales/financial firm in Brainerd and have met with many people that have made mistakes in the past. I'm always more apt to give these people a 2nd chance because they're hungry for the chance to make things right and put their past behind them. The arrest IS a big deal and deserves notation but the better part of the story is what he's done with his life since then.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
No shock - Reusse is also on the pot bust story. Did his usual shtick about "gopher diehards will complain that I'm attacking the program, when all I'm doing is reporting facts."
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Patrick reporting facts...selectively, as usual.
 

I can honestly not beleive the amount of bias going on when people are talking about Kimani and Saul's mistakes. I have friends who in the past have dabbled in the same idiotic business of selling drugs. One of them did it for 8+ years, made a lot of money, and "worked his way up" in the business. Here is the kicker, the most he has everhad on him to sell was about 5 lbs. In that business, you don't just get handed 96 lbs, you work your way up to that. In my friends case it stated with selling in sizes of grams for many years, then ounces, and then many years later, once you have you've made many connections and earned the trust of those above you are you able to get in the business of moving pounds. 96 POINDS!? Are you f'ing kidding me - and Kimani has the nerve to call it a mistake, as if it only happened one time! News flash to you all, if he was moving around 96 pounds, he was in the game for 5-10 years at a minimum. I am all for second chances, but please do not compare this situation to Saul's DUI. They are two different situations. If you are all for Kimani being forgiven, then you should be the same way for Saul. In most states 1-2 ounces will get you a felony, and you all want to kiss a guy's arse just because our new coach likes him. Stop being so fair weather, please.
 

It's funny how Reusse never writes an article about the community service work done by Gopher athletes but apparently those good deeds aren't "facts" but rather non-stories. I wonder how Dubay feels about his comments? Reusse's never seen a bottle of Jack or cheeseburger that he didn't like so it always amazes me how quick he is to point out the flaws of others.
 

Olden Gopher said:
I can honestly not beleive the amount of bias going on when people are talking about Kimani and Saul's mistakes. I have friends who in the past have dabbled in the same idiotic business of selling drugs. One of them did it for 8+ years, made a lot of money, and "worked his way up" in the business. Here is the kicker, the most he has everhad on him to sell was about 5 lbs. In that business, you don't just get handed 96 lbs, you work your way up to that. In my friends case it stated with selling in sizes of grams for many years, then ounces, and then many years later, once you have you've made many connections and earned the trust of those above you are you able to get in the business of moving pounds. 96 POINDS!? Are you f'ing kidding me - and Kimani has the nerve to call it a mistake, as if it only happened one time! News flash to you all, if he was moving around 96 pounds, he was in the game for 5-10 years at a minimum. I am all for second chances, but please do not compare this situation to Saul's DUI. They are two different situations. If you are all for Kimani being forgiven, then you should be the same way for Saul. In most states 1-2 ounces will get you a felony, and you all want to kiss a guy's arse just because our new coach likes him. Stop being so fair weather, please.
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I don't think anyone is trying to belittle the significance of the story....96 freaking pounds is a boat load of dope. He was in deeper than we know and I'm surprised he only spent a year in jail. I do believe in 2nd chances though...."comeback" stories always make for the best memories....if successful.
 

Breakin' The Plane said:
Doesn't one of Mr. Reusse's current employers shell out a paycheck to someone who's getting a second chance after making some pretty big mistakes?
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Heck, Reusse himself spent time in a rehab center. I would think of all people, he might know it is possible for someone to turn their life around.
 

Olden Gopher said:
I can honestly not beleive the amount of bias going on when people are talking about Kimani and Saul's mistakes. I have friends who in the past have dabbled in the same idiotic business of selling drugs. One of them did it for 8+ years, made a lot of money, and "worked his way up" in the business. Here is the kicker, the most he has everhad on him to sell was about 5 lbs. In that business, you don't just get handed 96 lbs, you work your way up to that. In my friends case it stated with selling in sizes of grams for many years, then ounces, and then many years later, once you have you've made many connections and earned the trust of those above you are you able to get in the business of moving pounds. 96 POINDS!? Are you f'ing kidding me - and Kimani has the nerve to call it a mistake, as if it only happened one time! News flash to you all, if he was moving around 96 pounds, he was in the game for 5-10 years at a minimum. I am all for second chances, but please do not compare this situation to Saul's DUI. They are two different situations. If you are all for Kimani being forgiven, then you should be the same way for Saul. In most states 1-2 ounces will get you a felony, and you all want to kiss a guy's arse just because our new coach likes him. Stop being so fair weather, please.
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+1

Saul Smith had one too many beers one night and got behind the wheel of car and drove home. Big mistake but simply ONE bad decision at the wrong time.

This new asst. coach was a big time mover and dealer of pot. Not terribly surprising that a member of the Pitino family would be involved with a guy like this.

I agree with another poster, if this guy was hired by another B1G school this board would be mocking them.
 

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