Pitino, who's had success employing a frenzied, trapping defense, brings an exciting brand of basketball back to Boston, where he began his head coaching career at Boston University at the age of 25. The upwardly mobile motivator then moved on to Providence College, and jumped to the NBA for two seasons to take the reins of the New York Knicks before moving back to the college ranks with the University of Kentucky.
After assistant coaching stints at the University of Hawaii in 1975-76 and at Syracuse in 1976-77 and 1977-78, Pitino took his first head coaching position with Boston University in 1978. In 1983, Hubie Brown hired Pitino away from the college ranks to serve as his assistant with the New York Knicks. After two seasons in that role, Pitino left New York to become head coach at Providence College.
It was in two seasons with the Friars that Pitino pushed his way into the coaching elite. Pitino piloted Providence to a 42-22 record over two seasons, including a berth in the 1987 NCAA Final Four. After that magical season Pitino left Providence and returned to the Knicks, this time as head coach.
After two well-received seasons in New York, he accepted the challenge of rebuilding the basketball program at the University of Kentucky, which had just been saddled with a two-year probation by the NCAA. Promising to "win right away," Pitino led the Wildcats to a fourth-place SEC finish, despite fielding a team that included only eight scholarship players, and nobody over 6-7.
After a 26-6 season in 1992, Pitino's Wildcats were defeated by Duke in the 1992 East Regional Final in what many people said was one of the greatest college games ever played. Christian Laettner hit a turnaround jumper as time expired, spoiling a Kentucky rally and giving Duke a 104-103 overtime victory.
In an eight-year tenure with the Wildcats, Pitino turned UK into the preeminent team at the college level. Under his reign, the Wildcats made five trips to the Elite Eight, three Final Four appearances (1993, '96, 97), and won one NCAA Championship.
He now serves as the head basketball coach at the University of Louisville.
