The Extensive, Impressive coaching tree of Rick Pitino

[TopCatCal]

Tubby Smith - Won a national championship at Kentucky
Billy Donovan - Took Florida to 4 Final Fours & won back to back national championships
Mick Cronin - Took UCLA to the Final Four
Kevin Keatts - Has NC State in this year's Final Four

Just guessing that there has never been another coach besides Pitino that has had 4 of his former assistants to take teams to the Final Four.... Compare that to John Calipari's coaching tree.

Bruiser Flint - Zero NCAA tournament wins
Orlando Antigua - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Tony Barbee - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Kenny Payne - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins

 

[Coach Marrow]

Are the Pitino threads today part of mandatory April Fools reading?

 

[BlueSince92]

Are the Pitino threads today part of mandatory April Fools reading?

Our current coach is full-time April Fools reading.

 

[BluesDaddy]

If Pitino is so good, how come he has the same number of championships and the same number of F4's?

 

[Kybluedude]

You left off Andre McGee

 

[BlueBomb]

It's not hard to have a better coaching tree than Cal.

I coached at some basketball camps back in the day, and my tree would rival Cal's. And it only includes one dude that coached middle school for a couple years.

 

[CatPatrick13]

If Pitino is so good, how come he has the same number of championships and the same number of F4's?

2 of the final 4's were vacated..... you sure on the math?

 

[sportspm]

There’s a lot of good coaches from the Pitino tree that haven’t been to a final 4

 

[BluesDaddy]

There’s a lot of good coaches from the Pitino tree that haven’t been to a final 4

They each had 2 F4's vacated. Pitino may have 1 more F4. But their records are very similar, yet some like to praise Pitino.

 

[deep3]

Tubby Smith - Won a national championship at Kentucky
Billy Donovan - Took Florida to 4 Final Fours & won back to back national championships
Mick Cronin - Took UCLA to the Final Four
Kevin Keatts - Has NC State in this year's Final Four

Just guessing that there has never been another coach besides Pitino that has had 4 of his former assistants to take teams to the Final Four.... Compare that to John Calipari's coaching tree.

Bruiser Flint - Zero NCAA tournament wins
Orlando Antigua - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Tony Barbee - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Kenny Payne - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins

I dont think you can even say Cal has a real coaching tree. Everyone that has coached under him and has went on to run their own program has been an unmitigated disaster. Barbee was awful his first crack and he had a little success this year. Comical how bad this is.

 

[littlecreek]

Dean Smith had quite a few assistant coaches do well I think,

 

[redbirdies]

You left off Andre McGee

Which team does he coach?

 

[blackcat714]

They each had 2 F4's vacated. Pitino may have 1 more F4. But their records are very similar, yet some like to praise Pitino.

Its because Pitino last 4 yrs at KY was much more fun to watch than Cals last 4

 

[Elliott Tim]

They each had 2 F4's vacated. Pitino may have 1 more F4. But their records are very similar, yet some like to praise Pitino.

Pitino saved Ky basketball.
To go 15-15 with a make shift team and beating LSU is remarkable.
To come within 1 point of beating Duke in 92 was amazing.
To come from 31 down at LSU was all world.
I will always be appreciative of his time at UK.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Tubby Smith - Won a national championship at Kentucky
Billy Donovan - Took Florida to 4 Final Fours & won back to back national championships
Mick Cronin - Took UCLA to the Final Four
Kevin Keatts - Has NC State in this year's Final Four

Just guessing that there has never been another coach besides Pitino that has had 4 of his former assistants to take teams to the Final Four.... Compare that to John Calipari's coaching tree.

Bruiser Flint - Zero NCAA tournament wins
Orlando Antigua - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Tony Barbee - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Kenny Payne - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins

Cals impressive tree

 

[BlueSince92]

It’s enough to make you think just maybe, if he’d ever been a Pitino assistant, even Cal might be able to coach by now.

 

[KMKAT]

Pitino saved Ky basketball.
To go 15-15 with a make shift team and beating LSU is remarkable.
To come within 1 point of beating Duke in 92 was amazing.
To come from 31 down at LSU was all world.
I will always be appreciative of his time at UK.

I would agree in that Pitino gave us the greatest era of UK basketball in my lifetime.
Does Pitino get credit for Mark Pope or any other of his former players?

 

[JC CATS]

Tubby Smith - Won a national championship at Kentucky
Billy Donovan - Took Florida to 4 Final Fours & won back to back national championships
Mick Cronin - Took UCLA to the Final Four
Kevin Keatts - Has NC State in this year's Final Four

Just guessing that there has never been another coach besides Pitino that has had 4 of his former assistants to take teams to the Final Four.... Compare that to John Calipari's coaching tree.

Bruiser Flint - Zero NCAA tournament wins
Orlando Antigua - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Tony Barbee - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins
Kenny Payne - Losing record, ZERO NCAA tournament wins

You forgot the Great Richard Pitino

 

[JC CATS]

Would it be fair to compare the guys they put in NBA, because I don't give a damn about their coaching trres, I want another title

 

[kywildcat41086]

I would agree in that Pitino gave us the greatest era of UK basketball in my lifetime.
Does Pitino get credit for Mark Pope or any other of his former players?

You got that right greatest era of my lifetime too.

 

[Elliott Tim]

I would agree in that Pitino gave us the greatest era of UK basketball in my lifetime.
Does Pitino get credit for Mark Pope or any other of his former players?

He should.

 

[jeffky]

Cals impressive tree

 

[jeffky]

 

[*CatinIL*]

Calipari coaching tree...

 

[jeffky]

Calipari coaching tree...

Bad time to be posting that pic around here with the current storms coming through here Lexington looks like a war zone alot of trees down and we still got this evening to go but other than that that's funny

 

[sportspm]

I would agree in that Pitino gave us the greatest era of UK basketball in my lifetime.
Does Pitino get credit for Mark Pope or any other of his former players?

Mine too

 

[JC CATS]

You got that right greatest era of my lifetime too.

What of Cal has left after 8 years? I believe Joe B was onto something about a shelf life for UK coaches

 

[entropy13]

Cals impressive tree

Dude, why insult a harmless stick with that analogy?

Cal's Coaching Tree: