As I understand it, the Minnesota Gophers made a coaching decision just before I left for my annual April vacation. They made the decision to hire the scion of National Championship winner and legendary coach Rick Pitino, Rick Pitino. Rick was recently the Florida International head coach, and has been an assistant under his father at Louisville and with Billy Donovan at Florida.
It’s not the guy that so many boosters and fans wanted. Pitino wasn’t necessarily a hot prospect in the coaching ranks, which is fine, because the Gophers weren’t going to attract someone of that caliber. Despite what so many people at 1500ESPN or KFAN say, Minnesota isn’t a good job and wasn’t bound to attract a top name on its reputation alone. He is better than Flip Saunders, the candidate most people over the age of 50 wanted in Minnesota. The best thing Saunders would have brought to the program is that booster money, since they got the coach they wanted. I made an entire case against Saunders before I left.
Pitino, despite his lack of popularity among the boosters, brings a lot to the table. He has a history as a recruiter at major programs at major conferences. He gave hints to being more than just a recruiter, taking players that weren’t his own at FIU and led them to 10 more wins than they saw in 2011-12 in his single season in Miami. Hiring Pitino isn’t just about his ability to coach and recruit, though.
It’s always been my belief that, in order to win as Minnesota’s basketball coach, you need to have some intangible benefits. Clem Haskins cheated. Tubby Smith had clout with his name recognition. Dan Monson had nothing. Rich Pitino has youth AND name recognition. He will bring an energy that the position hasn’t featured in some time. He will bring the Pitino name to a program that would otherwise have no reputation for success.
The Gophers program has been beholden to old men living in the past (and even then the past wasn’t that great) for far too long. Norwood Teague recognized that the only way the team was going to get better was to look to the future. That meant building the program into one that potential recruits would want to play for, not one that boosters would control. Axing Tubby may have been a misstep, but hiring Richard Pitino was a strong recovery.
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