STrib: Richard Pitino tells Gophers players his days as their coach might be nearing an end

[BleedGopher]

per Marcus:

Richard Pitino's postgame comments to the Gophers on Saturday at Nebraska have left some members of the team believing he is likely down to his final games as their coach, sources close to the program told the Star Tribune.

Pitino is approaching the end of his eighth season with the Gophers (13-12, 6-12 Big Ten), but the realistic chances of making the NCAA tournament vanished after back-to-back losses last week to Big Ten bottom feeders Northwestern and Nebraska.

According to the sources, it was an emotional scene inside the locker room following Saturday's loss at Pinnacle Bank Arena. If the Northwestern defeat at home two nights earlier had left Pitino searching for words, the Gophers coach went a different direction in Lincoln, delivering a message that left the team convinced he will be let go at season's end.

Pitino and Gophers athletic director Mark Coyle could not be reached for comment.

Richard Pitino tells Gophers players his days as their coach might be nearing an end

Sources said the Gophers coach addressed his status at a meeting.

www.startribune.com

Go Gophers!!

 

[MNVCGUY]

Not too surprising. Hell the players seem pretty determined to get him fired since they clearly are not listening to him anymore. In multiple post game interviews he has talked about them needing to take fewer 3s and yet game after game they just run out there and toss up bricks from long range at an insane pace.

 

[GopherPlaya]

With this news and the buyout at 1.75 million, we should start mentally prepping ourselves for a low to mid-major hire as our next coach. We won't have enough to get a big name. Our search will probably come down to:

Medved
Gates
Smith
DeVries
Maybe Dutcher but his buyout is still probably too high
Maybe an out of the Box guy Like Ben McCollum
Porter Moses would be a steal in my opinion

 

[MplsGopher]

The Missouri Valley trio: DeVries, Moser, and Jacobsen .... why would any of them want to come to the Gophers?

 

[GopherPlaya]

I can DeVries wanting to take that step up but don't see Jacobsen or Moses if I am being honest

 

[MplsGopher]

I can DeVries wanting to take that step up but don't see Jacobsen or Moses if I am being honest

He's never coached outside Iowa in his life, except across the river in Omaha. Someone said he's waiting for the Iowa job.