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Pitino paving his return

TheAnonymous13

TheAnonymous13

Junior
Feb 23, 2011
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Ron Mehico said:
To where?
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He’s got 3 years left in his contract and then I guess they’re not bringing him back. He wanted this out he’s saying he wants to keep coaching as long as he can. Someone is gonna take him at a power 5. Just hope it isn’t someone I hate.
 
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Gromcat said:
He’s got 3 years left in his contract and then I guess they’re not bringing him back. He wanted this out he’s saying he wants to keep coaching as long as he can. Someone is gonna take him at a power 5. Just hope it isn’t someone I hate.
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How old is he anyway? Dude looks 70, can’t imagine him working that much longer and trying to navigate NIL and all that crap.
 
TNCatfanforever said:
Rick Pitino is the most brilliant coach as far as coaches go to ever coach at UK.
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Pretty Amazing “the most brilliant coach” could only go 2-9 against Calipari during Cal’s tenure at Kentucky, including losing two NCAA tournament games -one as a heavy favorite. Even with his very best team -the 1996 Cats -he could only split with Cal 1-1.

In fact, it’s pretty obvious that Pitino’s frustration with being dominated by Calipari is what drove him to the disgraceful cheating that destroyed his career.
 
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Pretty Amazing “the most brilliant coach” could only go 2-10 against Calipari during Cal’s tenure at Kentucky, including losing two NCAA tournament games -one as a heavy favorite. Even with his very best team -the 1996 Cats -he could only split with Cal 1-1.

In fact, it’s pretty obvious that Pitino’s frustration with being dominated by Calipari is what drove him to the disgraceful cheating that destroyed his career.
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Character weighs on you, or is it the lack of character. A major issue with many "what could have been's" is self control.....control thyself...
 
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Pitino-Bicycle-Crash.gif
 
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Pretty Amazing “the most brilliant coach” could only go 2-9 against Calipari during Cal’s tenure at Kentucky, including losing two NCAA tournament games -one as a heavy favorite. Even with his very best team -the 1996 Cats -he could only split with Cal 1-1.

In fact, it’s pretty obvious that Pitino’s frustration with being dominated by Calipari is what drove him to the disgraceful cheating that destroyed his career.
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I cannot STAND Rick Pitino. But he would have done some amazing things with the talent Calipari has had at his disposal.
 
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Pretty Amazing “the most brilliant coach” could only go 2-9 against Calipari during Cal’s tenure at Kentucky, including losing two NCAA tournament games -one as a heavy favorite. Even with his very best team -the 1996 Cats -he could only split with Cal 1-1.

In fact, it’s pretty obvious that Pitino’s frustration with being dominated by Calipari is what drove him to the disgraceful cheating that destroyed his career.
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Says it all. Not in the same class as Cal.
 
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yoshukai said:
I cannot STAND Rick Pitino. But he would have done some amazing things with the talent Calipari has had at his disposal.
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Then why couldn’t he beat Cal more often, even when he had more talent and was a heavy favorite? He was a 4 seed in the 2014 tournament and lost to Cal’s 8 seed. Even with arguably the best team any program had in the last 35 years -the 1996 Cats -Cal beat him once and very nearly upset him in the tournament. Calipari was inside Pitino’s head and it drove him to cheating over and over.

By the way, Pitino had amazing talent at Kentucky too, and won it once. There’s no evidence he’d have done as well as Cal has at Kentucky -much less better.
 
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Then why couldn’t he beat Cal more often, even when he had more talent and was a heavy favorite? He was a 4 seed in the 2014 tournament and lost to Cal’s 8 seed. Even with arguably the best team any program had in the last 35 years -the 1996 Cats -Cal beat him once and very nearly upset him in the tournament. Calipari was inside Pitino’s head and it drove him to cheating over and over.
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I absolutely agree with your last statement. In fact, a while back I went over to the U6 board (to watch them moan about the Bradshaw commitment) and stumbled upon a thread where they were talking about how ex-players had said that on the week leading up to the Kentucky game Pitino was a completely different person. Constantly yelling, agitated , couldn’t sleep, completely stressed out. The players said they felt that stress and it affected their play . It made me so happy reading that ! lol
 
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Then why couldn’t he beat Cal more often, even when he had more talent and was a heavy favorite? He was a 4 seed in the 2014 tournament and lost to Cal’s 8 seed. Even with arguably the best team any program had in the last 35 years -the 1996 Cats -Cal beat him once and very nearly upset him in the tournament. Calipari was inside Pitino’s head and it drove him to cheating over and over.

By the way, Pitino had amazing talent at Kentucky too, and won it once. There’s no evidence he’d have done as well as Cal has at Kentucky -much less better.
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Your last statement. I believe most basketball people think Pitino would have won multiple titles if he’d stayed at UK . I do too . But he was destined to leave . No one really knows though.
 
MdWIldcat55 said:
Then why couldn’t he beat Cal more often, even when he had more talent and was a heavy favorite? He was a 4 seed in the 2014 tournament and lost to Cal’s 8 seed. Even with arguably the best team any program had in the last 35 years -the 1996 Cats -Cal beat him once and very nearly upset him in the tournament. Calipari was inside Pitino’s head and it drove him to cheating over and over.

By the way, Pitino had amazing talent at Kentucky too, and won it once. There’s no evidence he’d have done as well as Cal has at Kentucky -much less better.
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That was also the only time Pitino lost in the Sweet 16.
 
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yoshukai said:
I absolutely agree with your last statement. In fact, a while back I went over to the U6 board (to watch them moan about the Bradshaw commitment) and stumbled upon a thread where they were talking about how ex-players had said that on the week leading up to the Kentucky game Pitino was a completely different person. Constantly yelling, agitated , couldn’t sleep, completely stressed out. The players said they felt that stress and it affected their play . It made me so happy reading that ! lol
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Really? Was it a hard thread to find, the Pitino one where he was nuts that game week?
 
Some coaches just have other coaches numbers. Rick Barnes is what….11-8 versus Cal since he took over at tennessee? Does that mean Barnes is a better coach than Cal since he’s got him in head to head while coaching a lesser program often with lesser talent? Nope. Barnes is like several tiers below Cal. He’s a good coach for tennessee because at the end of the day if they can beat kentucky and make the tournament their fans are happy. But he’d never be considered for the UK job.

Pitino for most of his career has been the better basketball coach. Cal has squandered a ridiculous amount of talent since he’s been at UK.

That all said, the questions about Pitino’s character and whether or not his ego would have eventually gotten him in trouble at UK as well are fair. I like to think if he had stayed he pushes us past UCLA and we switch places with Duke as by far the best program in the modern era, which would put our status as the best program of all time more or less out of reach and out of question. But his shortcomings at UL bring that little inkling of doubt into play.

But as far as just basketball goes, everything between the lines?…Pitino > Cal without question. Cal’s style of basketball just happened to be pitino’s kryptonite. As was tubby’s to a lesser degree. Pitino teams struggle with that deliberate half court approach.
 
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TheAnonymous13 said:
I do think Rick was sincere in making Iona his final stop, but there have been some changes at the top…. and Rick’s path back to the big time may be well paved,

apple.news

Rick Pitino Says Contract Talks With Iona ‘Didn’t Work Out’ — Sports Illustrated

The Hall of Fame coach reportedly was negotiating a lifetime contract with the school earlier this year.
apple.news apple.news
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@TheAnonymous13 why does your coach spell his first name “Todd” and not “Tod”? Does he need an extra d because his wife is getting rammed by a real Wildcat to keep up?
 
Cal and Pitino win/loss records(Im not saying who the better coach is)

Combined in the NBA they were

174 wins(72 Cal and 102 for Rick)
258 losses(112 for Cal and 146 for Rick)


Combined in college

1617 wins(810 Cal and 807 Rick)
526 losses(241 for Cal and 285 for Rick)


They won 75.5% of their college games. Amazing record no matter who you think is better. Easy to see why they never went back to the pros.

Despite each having spent time in the NBA both, depending on Huggins, could become top 5 winningest coaches of all time. Neither has much chance at reaching Boeheim and the rat-faced gremlin.
 
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Gromcat said:
Rick > Cal

Not even close in my mind. Not sorry either.

Just damn how many mistakes can one guy make. And then to think you can turn Louisville into a national brand and overtake UK. Ego out of control.
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You just hate Calipari man and that is ok, to each their own (btw you were supposed to quit calling him Cal, you said that yourself). At this point they are pretty much equal in performance... but I can tell you this, Cal has never screwed UK like Pitino did and this is coming from a guy/kid that grew up in his era.

The fact that UK has never once been mentioned in any of the sh*t Pitino drug UL through is a credit to him or his ability to hide stuff.

Kudos either way, he didn't ditch or screw UK, helps the state more than any coach at UK ever and has won alot (albeit should have more titles).

I'm not hating on you just telling you how it is. I'm going to let Cal write his final chapter because it is going to be a good ending.
 
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RondoBaller21 said:
Can’t compare Cal at UK to Pitino at UofL. What you can compare is both at UK and Pitino is by far the best.
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In what way? Pition and Cal both took over a sh*t shows.

Pitino went to 3 FF's and won a title in '96 (8 years)

Cal went to 4 FF's and won a title in '12 (6 years)

Make assumptions if you want. I would assume Pitino wouldn't have the draught Cal has had but it is plausible. We are talking about a guy who ditched UK, flipped us the bird, impregnated his goomah and essentially landed UL the modern death sentence.

Both are great coaches though. Just don't see the by far the best thing....nonsense.
 
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