NCAA Basketball rewind: Most impactful coaching hires after 2013 season

By Joey Loose | Jun 25, 2021

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 18: Head coach Brad Underwood of the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks reacts in the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Barclays Center on March 18, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

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NCAA Basketball Richard Pitino Minnesota Golden Gophers (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

10. Richard Pitino (Minnesota)

Ever since their Final Four run in 1997 had been vacated, it been up and down for Minnesota, with a lot more of the down. The last six years had seen former national champion coach Tubby Smith doing his best with the Golden Gophers, but it hadn’t been enough in the end. On the hunt again, Minnesota settled on a young head coach with a pretty famous father.

Richard Pitino’s coaching career was only just starting, seeing as he was just 30 when Minnesota made him their program’s leader. He had spent time as an assistant at Duquesne, Florida, and Louisville under his father. His last season had been spent as head coach at Florida International, where he had constructed a major turnaround in a single season with the Panthers, winning 18 games.

Minnesota had some solid years under Pitino, who would be head coach for eight seasons. He won the NIT championship in his very first season, finished 4th in the Big Ten a few seasons later. Minnesota was never a Big Ten contender, but picked up an NCAA Tournament win in 2019 and were a solid enough program during his tenure. Pitino was cast aside after eight seasons without enough progress.

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