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Big Ten Basketball: Ranking all 14 head coaches for 2019-20 season

By Joey Loose

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans looks on during a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 23: Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers reacts against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 23, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
DES MOINES, IOWA – MARCH 23: Head coach Richard Pitino of the Minnesota Golden Gophers reacts against the Michigan State Spartans during the first half in the second round game of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena on March 23, 2019 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

10. Richard Pitino (Minnesota)

Consistency has been a problem in Minnesota, especially in the years since their Final Four trip in 1997, which was later vacated. Though there was some success under Tubby Smith, the last few years under Richard Pitino have represented another small step forward. He’s still a few steps away from the promised land, but Pitino’s done a solid job.

The son of a Hall of Fame coach, Pitino’s own career began as an assistant at a number of schools. He worked under dad Rick at Louisville when Florida International gave him his first shot as a head coach in 2012. Inheriting a program that Isiah Thomas had left in horrible shape, Pitino built a new team on pressure defense, leading the Panthers to their first winning season in over a decade. He may have just one season leading a program, but that was enough for the Golden Gophers to put him in charge in 2013.

Pitino’s tenure has been up and down for the most part. Minnesota won the NIT in his first season, but by 2016, they were an 8-win, bottom-feeding Big Ten team again. The last few seasons have seen the Golden Gophers rebound, with NCAA Tournament appearances in 2017 and 2019. As was the case before his hire, consistency continues to be an issue and it keeps Pitino’s name on the hot seat. His fourth-place finish in the Big Ten back in 2017 was an impressive step forward, but it can’t be the highlight of his career going forward.

His work at FIU was great in the short-term, but the long-term gains at Minnesota have still yet to be seen. Fortunately, Pitino is still only 36 and his coaching career might only just be beginning. He’s shown that he can coach great defense and lead impressive turnarounds. He gets some notoriety for his last name, but he’s starting to carve out a nice career of his own. It’s still going to take a few more NCAA Tournaments to even be in the same conversation as some of the coaches in this league.

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