When Rick Pitino resigned from his place as head coach of the New York Knicks on Could 30, 1989, the fabled collegiate program that was about to rent him had slipped and skidded into purgatory. On the College of Kentucky, the place the Wildcats captured 5 nationwide championships within the previous 40 years, the repercussions from a blockbuster NCAA scandal that includes 18 formal costs — recruiting violations, tutorial fraud, lack of institutional management, and so on. — saddled the crew with three years of probation and a two-year postseason ban, the totality of which compelled embattled coach Eddie Sutton to resign. Kentucky and its first-year athletic director, C.M. Newton, wanted a savior.
Enter Pitino.
Having already taken Boston College to the NCAA Match in 1983 and elevated Windfall to the Ultimate 4 in 1987 — at which level he bolted to the NBA — Pitino had lengthy since established his proof of idea as a high-level program builder with restricted assets. The prospect to use his unrelenting work ethic and unbending will at Kentucky, a legit school basketball blue blood with arguably essentially the most rabid fan base within the nation, was too good for Pitino to cross up, even amid the stench and squalor of NCAA sanctions. He joined the Wildcats forward of the 1989-90 marketing campaign.
From there, Pitino reworked Kentucky into maybe the most effective crew of the last decade with three Ultimate 4 appearances and one nationwide title in six seasons, all whereas churning out 9 first-round picks throughout that span. He averaged 30.5 wins per yr in seasons when the Wildcats had been eligible for the NCAA Match and delighted followers with a method of play rooted in velocity, athleticism, toughness and unmatched physicality.
“I do not suppose there might have been one other coach within the historical past of school basketball that would have gotten Kentucky from the place it was when he took it over to the place he obtained it so shortly,” stated Travis Ford, a two-year beginning guard for Pitino at Kentucky and the eventual head coach of 4 Division I applications, throughout an interview with FOX Sports activities. “And never simply speaking about X’s and O’s. Sure, X’s and O’s, but additionally how low Kentucky basketball was on the time. However folks nonetheless beloved it. It was nonetheless Kentucky basketball with the followers and everyone. And having to take that over and nonetheless stay as much as expectations, solely he might try this.”
The components for a way Pitino did it — with ruthless conditioning exercises, hyper-detailed movie periods, marathon practices and an progressive dedication to customized participant growth — examined the higher limits of emotional and bodily exertion for everybody on the roster in methods they’re going to always remember. That so lots of these gamers respect and revere Pitino to this present day, regardless of the immense challenges he put them by means of, continues to underscore the ability of his teaching elixir.
To higher perceive that dynamic, FOX Sports activities spoke with 15 of Pitino’s former gamers, starting from his time as an assistant coach underneath Jim Boeheim at Syracuse (1976-78) by means of his present function at St. John’s (2023-present), together with the handful of collegiate stops he made in between: at Boston College from 1978-83, at Providence College from 1985-87, at Kentucky from 1989-97, at Louisville from 2001-17 and at Iona from 2020-23.
That is the second in a three-part sequence titled Postcards of Pitino. We proceed with “The Glory Years,” which span Pitino’s stints at Kentucky (nationwide title in 1996) and Louisville (nationwide title in 2013) earlier than his eventual dismissal from the Cardinals in 2017 amid an FBI investigation into fraud and corruption across the college basketball landscape.
[More: Postcards of Pitino: The Early Years]
Editor’s be aware: The next accounts had been edited for size, readability and movement.
From: Reggie Hanson, F, Kentucky (1987-91)
Profession stats: 11.6 factors and 5.4 rebounds per sport in 101 appearances
Years with Pitino: 2
Kentucky was on probation when Coach Pitino obtained there, so I used to be being recruited by different colleges to go away. I had my first assembly with Coach Pitino, and my important concern was I am 6-foot-7 and 180 kilos at the moment. I talked to completely different guys within the professionals that performed for Coach Pitino, they usually had been like, ‘Hey, it will be intense, however you are going to get higher.’ And so I advised him my important factor was I wished to get developed into an entire participant and never simply be a publish participant. And he stated, ‘Oh, you are not going to fret about that. The primary factor you have to fear about is getting in form.’
The primary assembly he had with us as a crew, he stated, ‘They’re predicting us to not win many video games. We’ll win extra video games than what they’re predicting. I do not know what number of, however we’ll win greater than what they’re predicting due to how laborious we’ll work. I respect you guys staying, however after preseason conditioning, half of you is likely to be gone as a result of you could not make it.’ And we had been all like, ‘Wow.’ However he was brutally sincere like that, such as you see within the movies with St. John’s. He is not chopping no corners with you. Both you prefer it, or you do not play.
In preseason, we might have 6 a.m. exercises on the observe. And in case you did not make the anticipated operating instances, you needed to do it once more at 3 p.m. If you happen to did not make the anticipated operating instances at 3 p.m., you needed to do it at 6 a.m. the subsequent day. So that you needed to hold doing it at 6 a.m. and three p.m. till everyone had made these instances to go onto the subsequent a part of conditioning. It was brutal to the purpose the place it gave me nervousness.
Then we began attending to the two-mile runs and issues like that. And we needed to make the two-mile runs in like 12 minutes. Each day I might be able to throw up earlier than we began. And so lastly, in the future, I obtained again to the place we stayed at Wildcat Lodge, and Coach P. had despatched Rock Oliver, the power coach, over to speak to me. And he got here into my room and he stated, ‘I want to speak to you, man.’ I stated, ‘What’s up, Rock?’ He is like, ‘Look, man, if in case you have an issue or there’s one thing happening, we will get you some assist.’ So I am assuming he thought possibly I used to be doing medication or one thing. And I stated, ‘Rock, man, I ain’t by no means achieved no medication, no nothing in my life. I am simply scared as hell earlier than these observe runs.’ And he began laughing. He was like, ‘Man, look, I will let you know this: Coach Pitino goes to be in your ass. However simply push more durable each single day and you’re going to get by means of it and you’re going to get in form.’
It is extra psychological than bodily as a result of the factor about it, as soon as you’re taking your self to a sure stage bodily and also you wish to transcend that, it is all about your thoughts and telling your self that you are able to do it. And that is the entire thing with Coach Pitino is getting you to consider. Getting you to consider that you’re so a lot better than what you had been. And so by doing that, he has to push you past and make you get past the bodily half to start out pondering like, ‘Rattling, I obtained previous that? Sure, I am good. I can do that. I can try this.’ It was laborious as hell, however as soon as we obtained in form and obtained to the video games, oh man, it was brutal for the opposite groups.
The yelling and issues like that did not hassle me in any respect. That motivated me. I appreciated that power in a coach. So I got here out day-after-day to go as laborious as I can. What loads of gamers do not perceive is it is not about how he is saying it, it is about what he is saying. And a few gamers get delicate to that. And after I was a captain on his first two groups at Kentucky, he used to have me go and speak to gamers that was actual delicate to that. He isn’t going to bend. If you happen to ain’t that participant, he is not even going to recruit you as a result of he is not bending. Both you are going to have the ability to take his wrath and get higher, otherwise you will not even be in this system as a result of he is not bending on his type and the way he does it. And he do not must.
I used to be in his workplace in the future and he was displaying me, he had this pill the place he made a listing of issues he wished to perform. He stated it could possibly be for the yr, for the month or for every day. He stated on the finish of every day, examine off that record and see what you have achieved. And those you did not accomplish, you have to transfer it to that subsequent day. And you have to carry on it till you accomplish it.
After which he requested me, he was like, ‘Who was your function mannequin?’ At the moment, I stated Michael Jordan, Physician J. and dudes like that. He was like, ‘They cannot be your function fashions. Are you able to ever speak to them? No. Can they contact you in any form of method? No. To allow them to’t realistically be your function mannequin as a result of you’ll be able to’t get any info from them that can assist you get the place it is advisable go.’ At that time, I stated, ‘You understand what, Coach, after my mom, who’s mainly my No. 1 function mannequin contemplating how she raised us, then I might say you, Coach, since you’re instructing me this stuff that I did not know.’ He simply smiled.
I am going to let you know yet one more story about Coach P. that made us actually perceive how critical he was. We performed pickup ball all summer season, and we had this man named Junior Braddy that had performed with us. He was going to stroll onto the crew. And we had our first day, our official first day of apply at 6 a.m., and Junior did not present up till apply was over. So Junior walks within the health club and he is like, ‘Coach, can I speak to you? My alarm did not go off.’ So Coach P. appears at him and says, ‘Possibly your alarm will go off subsequent yr,’ and walks proper off and as much as the workplace. That proper there set a tone with everyone.
However we solely had seven, eight scholarship gamers due to the probation, so he got here to us and requested the crew how we felt about Junior. He requested if we felt just like the man might assist us or not. We stated, ‘Coach, he is adequate to assist the crew, particularly in apply and issues like that.’ So Coach P. was like, ‘OK, I am going to convey him again to the crew. However he has hell to pay for lacking the primary apply.’
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From: Travis Ford, G, Kentucky (1991-94)
Profession stats: 8.1 factors and 4.1 assists per sport in 130 appearances
Years with Pitino: 3
I used to be a university head coach for 27 years, and man, how instances change. I could not even start to think about placing certainly one of my groups by means of what we did again then. I imply, it might be unprecedented. We conditioned six days per week. And as you in all probability heard, we jogged over a mile to the observe, simply to get to the observe. You needed to jog there at 5 [o’clock] within the morning, after which as soon as you bought there, we by no means knew what we had been going to do, however we knew it wasn’t going to be any enjoyable. After which when it was over, you needed to jog again. These aren’t fond reminiscences in any way.
What I realized increasingly after I turned a coach was that Coach Pitino’s exercises had been extra in regards to the psychological than it even was the bodily. I realized so many issues after I turned a coach that confirmed me why we did sure issues. Sure, it obtained us in elite form, the most effective form of any crew within the nation, with out query. I feel we knew on the time that no person else was doing this. However what we in all probability did not know as a participant is that Coach Pitino was making you do one thing that you simply by no means thought you would do and creating a mentality to struggle by means of ache, to struggle by means of a second the place you are like, ‘I am unable to do one other dash, I am unable to go round this observe yet one more time. However you do not have a selection. You had been petrified of the implications. You did not wish to let your teammates down. And also you discovered, hey, I did not suppose I might do yet one more — however I ended up doing possibly 5 extra, 10 extra. So, no query, it was as vital to construct psychological toughness because it was simply to grow to be in nice bodily form.
My relationship with him right now is as shut as ever. I really like him to demise. If he stated proper now, ‘Hey, I want you to return assist me do that,’ I might be there. I could not inform the man, ‘No,’ for something. I attribute so many issues to him that I have been capable of accomplish. However in case you advised me after I was taking part in for him that I might have that bond finally — as a result of there’s many days if you’re similar to, ‘This man…’ Enjoying was essentially the most enjoyable I’ve ever had, was essentially the most pleasing time of my life, the expertise was nice. However it was additionally the toughest factor I’ve ever achieved, taking part in for him. It is not straightforward. It is not for everyone.
I do not suppose he is as laborious right now as he was then, that is for positive, however if you’re sitting in a room with him and he is speaking to you within the locker room, or he is speaking to you on the court docket, you understand he is proper. You understand, ‘I higher hearken to him as a result of if I do, our crew has an opportunity to have nice success, and it could assist me as a person participant.’ You simply believed in him. And for someone like me who was obsessive about basketball and obsessive about making an attempt to be the most effective I could possibly be and I beloved successful, I am similar to, ‘I could not prefer it, I could not significantly be having fun with it at that individual second, but when he says do it, it have to be the suitable factor to do.’
He invented the person instruction. I do not know if “invented” is the suitable phrase, however he was the primary one to ever do it. He was the primary to ever convey guys in between courses and do it. Nobody was doing that, not on a structured foundation. We knew Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday when our particular person time was from the get-go. It is 45 minutes continuous. It is not simply taking pictures. This was one-on-one. This was game-type pictures. This was timed pictures the place you have to make so many pictures in a given period of time. Once more, similar to the conditioning in that it was testing you mentally as a lot because it was bodily. I beloved it. I completely beloved it. No matter participant I turned, I feel it was an enormous a part of spending that point with him and assistant coach Billy Donovan in apply.
Right now, everyone form of does particular person instruction within the preseason. However most coaches do not do it as soon as the season begins. Oh, no. Even right now, Coach Pitino’s guys are nonetheless coming in every day to do particular person instruction. It by no means adjustments. That is the distinction. The dedication to it and the extent of depth of each single one is what’s completely different.
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From: Tony Delk, G, Kentucky (1992-96)
Profession stats: 14.2 factors and three.5 rebounds per sport in 133 appearances
Years with Pitino: 4
He got here to talk at a banquet my senior yr of highschool, in order that was actually my first time assembly him. Afterward, we had been strolling again to my home and he was simply telling my dad and mom he would care for me. I feel what actually offered my brothers was when he spoke in regards to the NBA. They had been like, ‘Oh, NBA?’ In order that obtained them excited in regards to the potential and risk of constructing it to the subsequent stage.
I actually did not know the way robust it was going to be till I went by means of my first particular person instruction. My teammate Rodrick Rhodes and I had been like quarter-hour in, and we had been each exhausted. There was nothing left within the tank. I can keep in mind Pitino simply calling us each ‘pampered freshmen’ and I feel he stated, ‘Hey, you guys are achieved. You possibly can’t give me anything.’ That first particular person instruction was robust, after which the two- or three-hour apply later that day was even more durable.
In particular person instruction, you are actually working in your ball dealing with, your taking pictures, some conditioning. That was your time to work in your craft in order that our video games by no means fell off, you understand? As a result of I feel as soon as children begin taking part in, they overlook, ‘OK, I’ve nonetheless set to work on my ball dealing with, I’ve nonetheless set to work on my taking pictures,’ so he made positive that was integrated in all of our practices.
He gave us so many drills and he taught us a lot in regards to the sport — and it wasn’t simply as collegiate gamers. Even after I turned a professional and did some teaching, began my very own coaching program, there’s nonetheless loads of drills and issues that he taught me which are nonetheless favorable to this present day. The fellows you speak to normally at all times point out we needed to make 170 layups in 4 minutes. Left hand, proper hand, operating full velocity — that was a conditioning drill. It was laborious, however like I stated, it actually constructed psychological toughness if you did not know you would put your physique by means of what he placed on the desk, you understand? So you actually believed in all the pieces that he was saying as a result of by the point we completed taking part in in ’96, we received a championship. So the work we put in undoubtedly paid off. The reward was there.
For me, the X’s and O’s stuff was model new. Simply the entire scouting report, breaking down movie and understanding crew tendencies, taking participant tendencies away, understanding our performs, methods to set a man up, methods to get open, methods to set an excellent display. He taught us a lot about simply the sport itself, after which the important thing to the X’s and O’s execution half was, you understand, being in the suitable place and being there on the proper time. After which the person instruction actually helped me make pictures as a result of what we might do in particular person instruction was a part of our sport plan on offense. So he knew methods to transition sure issues into the precise sport. He knew methods to simulate the sport in sure practices and drills so then it made the sport that a lot simpler. After which the practices had been 10 instances more durable than video games. We could not look forward to an precise sport as a result of it was like, ‘Lastly, we do not have to apply!’
Most likely essentially the most strain he had was our senior yr, the ’95-’96 season. We began out the season ranked No. 1 within the nation. Earlier than that, you understand, he got here and mainly form of like rebuilt the entire program. However the extra you begin getting expertise, and when you go to a Ultimate 4, I feel the expectation adjustments. How do you maintain that? You have to begin getting guys which are going to be next-level gamers. And if you convey all these guys in, now you will have loads of completely different personalities. And he knew methods to mesh the chemistry. He knew methods to play sure guys. However if you play up-tempo and also you play that tough, he knew you had been going to return out of the sport sooner or later in time. You had been going to be exhausted. So it was sensible on his half to play up-tempo to get everyone taking part in time, sufficient taking part in time the place they’ll get numbers.
He made us work extraordinarily laborious on protection and we needed to sacrifice so much. However he gave us freedom on offense, and I feel that is what guys actually loved about his type. We performed quick and we had guys that would execute, that would make that call underneath duress, and that was the important thing to us practising the best way we did. Extra NBA scouts in all probability wished to see us apply than wished to see us play within the sport, as a result of that is after we actually, actually obtained after it.
The sport is his child. There’s nothing that comes earlier than basketball apart from his household. On a regular basis he spent with all of us, you understand, it speaks about who he’s as a person as a result of he sacrificed a lot of his time for myself and lots of of different gamers which have come by means of this system. It is his love for the sport. He is a type of guys after I take into consideration teaching lifers, that is what he’s. He is a lifer to the sport of basketball.
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From: Larry O’Bannon, G, Louisville (2001-05)
Profession stats: 8.8 factors and a pair of.4 rebounds per sport in 130 appearances
Years with Pitino: 4
It was robust, man. Simply the dedication that he anticipated was one thing that I had by no means actually identified. You examine it and also you hear about it, however till you are in it, you by no means actually know. He was intense when it got here to all the pieces, man. I feel you simply noticed the aggressive nature develop over time throughout the program. You would see the work ethic, the extent of expectation from guys, it simply trickled on in and have become a tradition of men getting within the health club within the summertime. We had competitions each week within the weight room. We had these charts that stored observe of who was the chief for holding the burden the longest, who bench pressed essentially the most, who squatted essentially the most. It simply turned a tradition of competitiveness and simply desirous to get higher.
The person directions that we did day-after-day was his instructing. That was the distinction. You present up and also you undergo a bunch of rigorous taking pictures drills, a bunch of ball dealing with, full-court one-on-one. Footwork was an enormous emphasis. He was an enormous pet peeve man on touring. He hated in case you traveled given the quantity of footwork drills and taking pictures and preparation that we did. He was actually intense about studying the ball. That was an enormous factor for him, studying the eyes of the passer. He would at all times say, ‘Learn the eyes of the passer. There’s not many nice passers in school basketball. They inform with their eyes the place the ball goes.’
Loads of his teachings with the press and methods to learn and understanding what place to be in, the person instruction was loads of instances the place he taught us loads of issues. You break all of it the best way right down to one-on-one. Then you definitely construct it up two-on-two. Then you definitely construct it up three-on-three. Then you definitely construct it up four-on-four. Then you definitely construct it up five-on-five. So if you’re constructing it from the very backside, you understand each aspect of the press: the place you are imagined to be, the place everyone else is meant to be, the place you are imagined to be studying. Typically you would be urgent and we might have greater than 5 folks, you’d have seven folks on the market generally. He simply knew his methods and the way it was imagined to work, and he broke it down for us to the place we might actually perceive it.
The movie breakdown was phenomenal. They made the sport simpler and the scouting report simpler and also you understood it. However then if you depart and go play someplace else, they usually do not take it as critical, or it is not as detailed, you are like, ‘Man, I form of want I had these similar scouts.’ As a result of it did not matter how lengthy till our subsequent sport, we had movie each single day. After 4 years of watching movie and studying how they do it, you virtually grow to be kinda automated with understanding methods to break groups down and the man you are guarding:
Can he shoot? Can he play the decide and roll? How does he defend the decide and roll? How does he defend one-on-one? How does he defend when somebody is chopping? Is he capable of get lower back-door? Does he guard nicely coming off of stagger screens? What’s his weak point?
However the foundation of all of it was conditioning. You needed to be conditioned to have the ability to play that method. It is humorous as a result of when you perceive that and attain the conditioning ranges that he desires, it is virtually form of such as you get drained and it turns into like an autopilot since you’re so used to fatigue that you simply learn to operate in it. And so if you’re recent, it virtually makes you query your self like, ‘Rattling, am I taking part in laborious sufficient?’ And so then it is like when you form of get drained, your physique simply goes right into a trance.
It took a while to regulate to his type. However you be taught that exterior these strains, he’d do something on the planet for you. When you step exterior the strains and also you name Coach Pitino, he is proper there. Most likely the most effective recommendation he gave me was not even associated to basketball. As soon as I completed taking part in at Louisville and I used to be going to play professionally, he advised me to speculate 75% to 80% of my contract — the primary two years of my contract — into the inventory market. Smartest thing he ever advised me to do.
However in between these strains, it is a completely different animal. And he turns you into a unique animal. His character rubs off on his gamers. Cutthroat, win by any means essential, do no matter it takes to win — that rubs off, man. And sure, he could be actually robust and actually tough verbally. At instances, he made it some extent to attempt to get underneath your pores and skin to inspire you or piss you off as a result of generally it would make you play higher. However that is why he had nice assistant coaches. The assistant coaches love on you, construct you up, and let you know, ‘Hey, simply hearken to the message,’ as a result of it is robust generally for 17-, 18-, 19-year-old children. However like I stated, when you kinda get a yr or two up underneath it, you form of perceive, ‘All proper, Coach,’ and also you be taught to hearken to the message and never how the message was despatched to you.
We went to a St. John’s sport once they performed Xavier. He nonetheless had the identical strains, the identical curse phrases, the identical curse phrases, the identical exchanges. He is obtained a couple of new ones in there, however he is nonetheless fiery and getting up in guys and nonetheless aggressive, desirous to win. So it is a pleasure to see him nonetheless at it and nonetheless have that fireside lit in there to win. I feel he is actually in an awesome place.
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From: Peyton Siva, G, Louisville (2009-13)
Profession stats: 8.4 factors and 4.7 assists in 144 appearances
Years with Pitino: 4
Coach P. has simply at all times had a presence about him. He is a tremendous speaker. He does an awesome job motivating his guys. Once I was being recruited by him and going into the locker room, listening to postgame speeches and issues of that nature, I simply keep in mind he sounded electrical and I keep in mind how engaged the blokes had been. It was next-level.
Once I first began watching Louisville play, particularly in highschool, I keep in mind pondering, ‘Oh, man, they play so quick. They rise up and down, they run. It appears like a enjoyable system to play in.’ And I did not select different colleges as a result of I used to be like, ‘Aww, man, I do not wish to play any protection. I simply wish to get on the market and play and run.’ After which, lo and behold, as soon as I get there, it is all about protection, protection, protection.
A few freshmen — me, Mike Marra, Rakeem Buckles — we did our first particular person instruction and, you understand, the older guys had been nice. Me and Mike? We would have liked oxygen tanks. We had been laying on the ground in our locker room. We did not know what to anticipate, you understand? We did not actually have trainers round then, and in order that was form of like our first actual particular person exercise. I believed we had been simply getting some pictures up. No, it is one-on-one full court docket, it is sprint-away 3-pointers, it was completely different. However after the primary couple months, first couple weeks of doing it, you get the hold of it and you understand how to situation your self. You understand that you simply’re in for a hell of a journey.
My junior yr, making it to the Ultimate 4, it was a magical run. We thought we had been good and we believed we had been good, however there wasn’t actually no excessive expectations of us making it that yr. However we had a very good run by means of the Massive East, received the Massive East Match, and simply continued to make use of that momentum. Coming again my senior yr, we simply felt like we might win all of it. Getting a style of that Ultimate 4, understanding what it felt prefer to get there, we knew what we might do to get there once more and win. Coach P. simply form of continued to carry us to that customary, would not allow us to take our foot off the gasoline.
That season, we misplaced three video games in a row to Syracuse, Villanova and Georgetown after we had been ranked No. 1. And it form of put a nasty style in our mouth. However we had some self-reflecting happening and Coach P., he in all probability wished to leap off a bridge at that cut-off date. We felt like we had an excellent crew. We felt like we had nice management on our crew. And there was simply sacrifices we would have liked to make. And Coach P. actually simply continued to place belief in us, push us. I am unable to emphasize sufficient simply how he was holding us to the very best customary, you understand?
I hated all of the hours of movie examine that we did. ‘We went over these guys one million instances. We watched this clip one million instances.’ As a participant, you do not understand what he is form of instructing you and ingraining in you in order that when the sport comes, there have been deadlines on the court docket after I knew the opposite crew’s performs higher than they did. And I used to be like, ‘Hey, you are not imagined to be right here proper now.’ It simply goes again to the movie examine that we did, the eye to element that we did, and all of the instances that he would get on us and simply speak in regards to the little issues that we might simply discover annoying. As a coach, I actually respect that now as a result of it is these little particulars that matter on the finish. And in case you let your guys slip up in these little particulars, and if you do not have that basis and that base, all the pieces goes to return unraveled.
From a participant’s perspective, you form of take a look at Coach Pitino as this almighty character and you do not actually wish to say something to him. He is like this nice father determine to loads of the gamers. As a coach now, I really feel extra comfy asking questions. You continue to have that respect issue for him, however you’ll be able to form of simply communicate a little bit bit extra freely. I imply, he nonetheless may yell at you. However you form of know that I am an grownup now, I can go dwelling to my household and do not have to fret about him making an attempt to make me run on the treadmill anymore.
Coming Thursday on FOX Sports activities: Half 3 in our “Postcards of Pitino” sequence exploring Pitino’s return to school basketball at Iona (2020-23) and St. John’s (2023-present). Here’s a hyperlink to our first story that checked out Pitino’s early years in teaching: Part 1: The Early Years
Michael Cohen covers school soccer and school basketball for FOX Sports activities. Observe him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
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