Tom Powers: Gophers’ Richard Pitino may be next to sizzle on local hot seat

[BleedGopher]

per Powers:

All of which brings us to young Mr. Richard Pitino. To repeat the initial question: What does a fellow have to do get fired around here? Richard is inexorably sliding into the bull’s-eye of negative public opinion. He quite literally is coaching on borrowed time. If his supposedly outstanding recruiting class stumbles next season, he will find the locals brandishing pitch forks and flaming torches outside of his office

Saturday’s loss to Rutgers was humiliating. And if any of Pitino’s bosses at the university were smart enough to be embarrassed, there might already be trouble for the coach. Rutgers is so bad that they were officially listed as underdogs at home against the undermanned Gophers. Ugh.

The locals were tickled to have Pitino because he is the son of a famous coach, and Minnesotans are enamored with celebrity of any kind. But there are limits to everything. Pitino’s team is a mess on and off the court. Folks are tapping their fingers nervously while waiting for this next recruiting class.

It better be good. If not, he will find his last name attached to a very familiar hashtag. And the folks around here can be relentless in showing their displeasure.

http://www.twincities.com/2016/03/0...tino-may-be-next-to-sizzle-on-local-hot-seat/

Go Gophers!!

 

[dtrain19]

Blah blah blah. Thanks for telling us what we already know Mr Powers. It's been a **** year, Pitino is in the hot seat, and if he doesn't show significant improvement next year the heat will be turned up to a boil. NEWSFLASH!!!

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

"Minnesotans are enamored with celebrity of any kind" Especially if the celebrity is from elsewhere.

 

[FanSinceTheFifties]

"...he will find the locals brandishing pitch forks and flaming torches outside of his office..." I doubt it. Gopher men's basketball is so far down the list of programs followed here that most people will just shrug. I'd guess it's after HS hockey but maybe a little ahead of the Lynx. This helps explain why there are three better college basketball programs in Kansas and three in Iowa -- both Midwest states with much smaller populations and more D1 programs.

 

[cncmin]

"...he will find the locals brandishing pitch forks and flaming torches outside of his office..." I doubt it. Gopher men's basketball is so far down the list of programs followed here that most people will just shrug. I'd guess it's after HS hockey but maybe a little ahead of the Lynx. This helps explain why there are three better college basketball programs in Kansas and three in Iowa -- both Midwest states with much smaller populations and more D1 programs.

Uh, no.