Great article on how Coach Pitino became our coach

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97alumni

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Didn't see posted anywhere - sorry if it has been


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rick-pitino-says-son-ready-191102461--ncaab.html

When Minnesota first approached Richard about the job, Rick Pitino said he made a few calls to get a read on the situation. Smith brought the Golden Gophers to three NCAA tournaments and picked up a victory this year against UCLA. But Teague felt the program had grown stagnant and a long-promised practice facility has yet to come to fruition.

But after some reconnaissance work on Teague, associate athletic director Mike Ellis and the program in general, Rick Pitino endorsed the job to his son.

''After checking it out, I just got the most glowing reports about all of them,'' Rick Pitino said. ''They were all at VCU when they hired Shaka. Billy recommended Shaka. I just heard so many great things about how they support their coaches. That's all I needed to hear.''
 

Good article thanks. Sounds like Teague changed tactics when his original plans didn't work out. The good news is his 'Plan B" may have been the best route all along.

Teague fired Tubby Smith on March 25 after six seasons at the school. He put in inquiries with bigger names like Shaka Smart, who Teague hired at VCU, and Fred Hoiberg, Brad Stevens, Flip Saunders and Andy Enfield. But it wasn't until Teague called Donovan earlier this week that Pitino emerged as a serious candidate.
''He asked me who do I know; someone who is maybe not on the radar, someone who was young and hungry,'' Donovan told The Associated Press in a phone interview.
Florida Gulf Coast's Enfield was mentioned, but he was already negotiating with USC.
''One guy you need to talk to,'' Donovan told Teague, ''is Richard Pitino.''
Donovan and Teague have developed a strong relationship dating to Teague's days at VCU. The first basketball coach Teague worked with there was Anthony Grant, a former assistant for Donovan. When Grant left for Alabama, Teague went to another Donovan assistant in Smart, who has emerged as one of the hottest young coaches in the country.
''I told him, 'If you don't hire him now, you're going to hear from him three, four, five years from now and say, 'I had a chance to hire this guy,''' Donovan said.
After swinging and missing on a handful of other coaches, including Smart, Teague decided to try to find the next Shaka. Richard Pitino is described as a dogged recruiter and extremely hard worker who has tried to distinguish himself as more than just Rick Pitino's son.
 

The comments under the article are WAY out of bounds...
 


97alumni said:
Didn't see posted anywhere - sorry if it has been


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/rick-pitino-says-son-ready-191102461--ncaab.html

When Minnesota first approached Richard about the job, Rick Pitino said he made a few calls to get a read on the situation. Smith brought the Golden Gophers to three NCAA tournaments and picked up a victory this year against UCLA. But Teague felt the program had grown stagnant and a long-promised practice facility has yet to come to fruition.

But after some reconnaissance work on Teague, associate athletic director Mike Ellis and the program in general, Rick Pitino endorsed the job to his son.

''After checking it out, I just got the most glowing reports about all of them,'' Rick Pitino said. ''They were all at VCU when they hired Shaka. Billy recommended Shaka. I just heard so many great things about how they support their coaches. That's all I needed to hear.''
Click to expand...

That is a terrific story!! Thanks for the info!!
 


''I told him, 'If you don't hire him now, you're going to hear from him three, four, five years from now and say, 'I had a chance to hire this guy,''' Donovan said.

That is exactly why he hired him.
 

Another great tidbit

http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/201500671.html

According to Garcia, Minnesota first reached out to Pitino on Monday. The young coach was very excited about the prospect but didn’t think he would get the job, Garcia said. When the Rutgers job became available, Pitino had already interviewed with Minnesota, and had told Garcia that if he was going to take any job, he was going to take the Minnesota job.
 

Cobra said:
The comments under the article are WAY out of bounds...
Click to expand...

Yahoo and ESPN are the worst. If you have the urge to read them bang your head against a door. You'll get the same affect.
 

Iceland12 said:
Yahoo and ESPN are the worst. If you have the urge to read them bang your head against a door. You'll get the same affect.
Click to expand...

I still say the Strib comment sections are the worst. Those ones don't make me bang my head against a door, but I suffer severe concussions from shaking my head back and forth so intensely.
 






Iceland12 said:
Yahoo and ESPN are the worst. If you have the urge to read them bang your head against a door. You'll get the same affect.
Click to expand...

Dr.Don said:
I still say the Strib comment sections are the worst. Those ones don't make me bang my head against a door, but I suffer severe concussions from shaking my head back and forth so intensely.
Click to expand...

How does Parski find the time?
 



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