February 18, 2006

Bets on when Pitino Leaves

Posted in Louisville, Sports at 11:07 pm by mj

So University of Louisville Men’s basketball team has lost again. To yet another struggling, unranked team.

They’ve won two games on the road all season.

In just this season alone, they’ve gone from #4 to somewhere around #104 (OK, #72 in the RPI). (Last year, they went to the Final Four.)

Pitino, of course, is known for skidattling out of town when things aren’t quite going his way.

I had mixed feelings when Pitino went to Louisville. On the one hand, he really does have a great record. He made the U of Kentucky teams fun to watch. He requires discipline of his players, which is something Denny Crum just lost all control over in his final decade.

On the other hand, I had a feeling that he wouldn’t stick around when things got tough.

Well, now things are tough. Let’s see if he’s a coach of character and turns things around in subsequent seasons, or if he conveniently finds “personal reasons” for leaving in a season or two.

And, really, I’m not complaining at all about Louisville’s sucky season. Pitino certainly is capable of turning it around.

Not that that will console Taquan Dean, who returned for his senior year. I’m sure he’s regretting that right about now.