Rick Pitino, the Hall of Fame coach for Iona, has brought the school to basketball utopia and has been the right man for the job. However, after their loss to Connecticut in the first round of the West Region, Pitino’s future with the team is uncertain.
St. John’s is reportedly waiting with open arms for Pitino, but the coach has said he needs to research the team before making any decisions.
Many believe that St. John’s and Pitino would be a match made in heaven, with the New York native son returning to the Big East, where he coached for two seasons at Providence. But Pitino has said that he needs to do his research on St. John’s and see if it is the right job for him.
The Gaels played an impressive game against Connecticut and reminded everyone why Pitino is considered the Secretariat of his sport. He cajoled, encouraged, inspired, and even played defense alongside his players.
The small Iona contingent across from the Gaels bench was on its feet screaming as Pitino marched into the halftime locker room with a 39-37 lead. However, UConn proved to be too much for Iona, and the Gaels lost 87-63.
Iona’s players were not focused on the possibility of Pitino leaving, but rather on shocking UConn and making history for the school, which had been 0-15 in the NCAA Tournament.
After their record dropped to 0-16, the team faced the end of a dream and the uncertainty of whether their revered Hall of Fame coach would ever coach them again.
While St. John’s may be waiting for Pitino, the coach needs to research the team to see if it is the right job for him. Iona players have praised Pitino’s coaching, and losing him would be devastating for the school.
»Rick Pitino’s Future Uncertain After Iona’s Loss to UConn in NCAA Tournament«
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