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Iona Basketball: What to expect with Gaels hire of Rick Pitino

By Bryan Mauro

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Andrija Ristanovic #10 of the Iona Gaels celebrates a 3-point basket against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Andrija Ristanovic #10 of the Iona Gaels celebrates a 3-point basket against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of the game in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Iona Basketball
MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 09: Head Coach Rick Pitino of Panathinaikos Opap Athens (Photo by Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images) /

Iona Basketball was already one of the better low major programs in the country. With their most recent hire of Rick Pitino, they have gotten better.

In what is now old news, Iona Basketball made a splash with their latest coaching hire. The Gaels did not enter the offseason thinking they were going to a new coach. However, former coach Tim Cluess had to resign due to some health problems that arose during the season. Iona was not just going to hire anyone. They wanted a coach who was going to maintain the same level of success the Gaels experienced under Cluess.

Everyone by this point knows the story. With Cluess at the helm, the Gaels were the class of the MAAC, winning the conference tournament four years in a row. Iona lost this season to Saint Peter’s in the quarterfinal round of the MAAC tournament. Their early exit and the abrubt end of the College Basketball season gave Iona the inside to hire their next coach. That next coach is the one and only Rick Pitino.

Pitino does not come without his baggage, he also brings wins and an uptick in recruiting that a school like Iona is going to take full advantage of. Pitino is a coach who going to make Iona even better and a bigger force in the MAAC than they already are. It is only a matter of time until the Gaels get their first five-star recruit.

The fans in New Rochelle are going to have to take the good with the bad when it comes to Pitino. He operates at a win at all cost mentality and he does win a lot. What can Gael fans expect out of Pitino?