Top 10 College Basketball Coaches of the Next Decade
By Joe Nardone
Richard Pitino — Minnesota 25–13 (.658)
Apr 3, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Richard Pitino holds the net after defeating the Southern Methodist Mustangs 65-63 in the 2014 NIT Tournament championship game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Being the son of a legend can’t be easy. However, despite Richard Pitino’s father being the infamous Rick Pitino (who is a famous Al Pacino look-a-like), many expect big things out of Junior.
Pitino already has two college basketball coaching gigs under his belt. His first job was taking a FIU Panthers and making them a worthwhile anything, which he did to a degree (18–14 ). After that, power conference teams started to call and Richard Pitino answered by taking a job with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
In a overachieving first year, Pitino led Minnesota to a 25–13 overall record and even won the postseason NIT Championship.
The sky is the limit for Pitino. His career arc will be an interesting one to follow, though. Will he stay at Minnesota for a lengthy duration or would he bolt for a more prestigious school if they were to come calling? Because, trust me, if he keeps winning 25-ish games with the Golden Gophers they will be blowing up his cellular telephone device.
It is worth noting, that while many cite his ability to recruit as a huge reason for his current and future successes, Pitino has shown the ability to be way ahead of the curve as far as his in-game coaching abilities goes.
Oh, and he is only 31.