Why Iona got it right hiring former Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino

Former Louisville basketball head coach and two-time national championship-winning coach Rick Pitino is back in the coaching saddle at Iona, which means, for Cardinals fans, it’s time to consider rooting for a second team.

What a time to be an Iona Gael, am I right? Okay, perhaps it’s not the greatest time, but if you’re a Louisville basketball fan, by default, you may have to sport the ole maroon and gold for the foreseeable future.

Amid a worldwide pandemic that has put the United States in an unprecedented national crisis, we are going to take the small wins and run with them.

It should go without saying that it’s still important to note that nothing that we write here is intended to downplay the seriousness of the Coronavirus, but without sports as a welcome distraction in an absolutely tough stretch, news like the announcement we officially received on Saturday night will more than suffice.

After parting ways with the University of Louisville in the fall of 2017, former head coach Rick Pitino is once again a head coach– This time with the Iona Gaels.

Given the seriousness of the outbreak in the area where Pitino will be coaching next fall, we likely won’t have a presser for quite some time, but Iona did put out an official release Saturday.

The wait for Coach P back at the podium in America shouldn’t dampen the excitement for the coach that brought so much for his former university.

Let’s check in with Rick, who has been tweeting up a storm lately.

Sidebar: Imagine reading just that sentence alone in, say, March of 2017. Yet, Pitweetos is like the 412th weirdest sports-related thing to happen in the last week.

So, what can Louisville basketball fans expect from Pitino when he arrives on campus in New Rochelle, New York? Probably a lot of winning, and a lot of fun.

Let me explain.

The perfect fit

When considering a position back in college basketball, one would assume Pitino is not looking for a school with a ton of money to throw at him or fancy athletic facilities or recruiting tools. Pitino just wants another chance to get back to coaching the sport he loves most with the opportunity to have success on the biggest stage. Iona brings that.

Pitino is New York City-born, New York City is his home, he had multiple stints with the New York Knicks, and his thick accent and big-city attitude alone are enough evidence that a return home would be the most comfortable landing spot.

Iona is in New Rochelle, just north of the Bronx- a perfect spot for one of the greatest in the game to return.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that prominent booster Robert LaPenta, among others, has close personal ties to the Hall of Fame head coach.

Inheriting greatness

If you’re a college basketball fan, you are probably at least somewhat familiar with Iona basketball, given their recent stretch of runs to the NCAA Tournament.

Head coach Tim Cluess stepped down from his position to serve in an advisory role as health concerns persist, but he has led the Gaels to six NCAA Tournaments over an eight-year stretch. Iona has drawn North Carolina, Duke, Oregon, Iowa State, and Ohio State in their last five tournament appearances.

Still, a stretch of conference superiority such as that should not go unnoticed, and a coach like Pitino may be exactly what is needed to take the program to the next level.

Cluess will help ease the transition for the program, who won’t be starting from scratch, but instead, rebuilding and retooling.

Perfect timing

The timing of the hiring could not have been more perfect in regards to what Pitino needs at his disposal to snag a recruiting class capable of further conference domination.

Given the new NCAA rules regarding a one-time transfer where a player would not have to sit out, Pitino could attract some interesting names to come to the big city and play his brand of basketball.

Even if the new rule is not put into place, Pitino could still land some strong graduate transfers to help ease the transition from the Cluess era. The Gaels lose five seniors from a season ago, and will likely have a ton of room to make things work in their favor and continue full speed ahead as a MAAC powerhouse.

Why should Louisville fans be interested?

Ah, the million-dollar question. While some fans, assuredly- and, perhaps, rightfully so- will be critical of the hire, and refuse to pull for the scorned ex-lover, I will be cheering like hell for coach P.

Pitino’s passion and love for the game have been missed in the college game, and his teams are going to be fun to watch from the jump.

Don’t be surprised if any former recruits or players show interest in playing for Pitino. Kids love going to play for the guy, and you could see someone like Texas guard Courtney Ramey or Louisville’s own Darius Perry show interest in a move if they feel there is a good fit.

Pitino could potentially bring some star players to a league without a lot of studs.

Cards fans should look forward to watching Pitino’s style of play returning to the game. If you are a fan who has been using this downtime to watch some old games, you undoubtedly have been reminiscing on some exciting basketball built on suffocating ball pressure and big-time runs.

Louisville fans have a lot to be excited about under Chris Mack, but Pitino restored the program to greatness under nearly two decades of perfecting match-up zone defenses and wearing teams into submission. That will not soon be forgotten by many.

Concern around scandals, investigations, and the way Pitino’s tenure in Louisville ended are heard and understood. If you take issue with the way things went down, and the black eye on the program after he left, it’s completely understandable. Pitino is a polarizing figure for a number of reasons.

Still, as a Cardinals fan, it’s hard not to be excited for the man.

Pitino was a complete juxtaposition in many ways to the city of Louisville. A New York-based Italian with a northern attitude leading a university and city known for its easy-going, friendly ways and midwestern hospitality. It was a weird match, but like most love affairs where opposites attract, Pitino was adored by most everyone.

We learned Pitino-speak. This Iona hire is the most humbling experience in all of his 60 years of coaching- Yeah, we got it, Rick. Hardest recruiting job of your career, yadda yadda.

But we saw the value of hard work for what it was. Louisville is a blue-collar city with a love affair for our sports teams and everything they encompass. During his time in the city, he became a celebrity; A larger-than-life figurehead for our university. And his play on the court made us fall even harder for his schtick.

Even in his departure, regardless of how you felt about Pitino the man, Pitino the coach was beloved. His teams were everything we wanted them to be, both in victory and defeat. The culture he built and the openness he displayed were evidenced by the people his players and coaches became. Pitino took a top-notch program and turned it into a permanently cemented blueblood.

That’s why, when Pitino’s first Iona team takes the court this fall, if you aren’t pulling for the Gaels, you’re going to be missing out.