Meet Richard Andrew Pitino, whose stage name is (Rick Pitino). He is an American basketball coach who has coached several teams in college and professional basketball.
He has led three different schools to the NCAA Final Four and won a championship with the University of Kentucky in 1996. Pitino was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
However, Pitino was suspended by the NCAA in 2017 for his lack of oversight in an escort sex scandal involving recruits at the University of Louisville. The scandal also led to the vacating of Louisville’s 2013 national championship.
Later that year, Pitino was implicated in a federal investigation for his involvement in bribes to recruits, and he was fired from Louisville for cause. Currently, Rick Pitino is the head coach for Iona University and was also the head coach for Greece’s senior national team.
Rick Pitino Biography
Rick Pitino was born on September 18, 1952, in New York City. He played basketball in high school at St. Dominic and then went on to play in college at UMass. He was a point guard and wore number 22.
After college, he became a coach, starting as an assistant at Hawaii before becoming the interim head coach. He then worked as an assistant at Syracuse before getting his first head coaching job at Boston University.
Rick Pitino also worked as an assistant coach for the New York Knicks. He has had a very successful coaching career, including leading teams to NCAA Tournament championships, regional championships, and conference championships.
He has also won several awards, including the Adolph Rupp Cup, the John Wooden National Coach of the Year, and the NABC Coach of the Year. He has coached at several different schools, including Kentucky, Louisville, and Iona.
Rick has also coached in other countries, such as Greece, where he won two Greek League championships and a Greek Cup. He has recently won two MAAC tournament championships and two MAAC regular season championships at Iona.
However, some of his previous achievements were vacated by the NCAA. Let’s read his full biography, Wikipedia biodata, date of birth, age and wife below.
Age | Date of Birth
Rick Pitino was born on September 18, 1952 ((britannica.com)). As of March 20, 2023, he is 70 years old ((thefamouspeople.com)).
Nationality | Ethnicity
Rick Pitino was born in New York City and grew up in Bayville, New York. He is an American ((ghgossip.com)) of Italian-American ancestry ((thefamouspeople.com)).
Parents | Family
Rick Pitino’s parents are Seb Sarkisian and Sally Sarkisian ((ghgossip.com)). There is no information available about his siblings.
Education Background
Rick Pitino graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1974 ((sports-reference.com)). There is no information available about his further education or degrees.
Pitino was a key player on the team, leading them in assists in his junior and senior years. He graduated from UMass in 1974. While at UMass, he played with future NBA star Julius Erving and baseball player Mike Flanagan.
Net Worth
As of 2023, Rick Pitino’s net worth is estimated to be around $45-50 million. ((celebritynetworth.com))
Children | Wife
Rick Pitino is married to Joanne Minardi since 1976 ((en.wikipedia.org)). They have five children together named Daniel Pitino, Jacqueline Pitino, Ryan Pitino, Michael Pitino, and Richard Pitino ((marriedbiography.com)).
In 1976, Pitino got married to the former Joanne Minardi. They have five children who are still alive. Richard is the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos right now. Daniel, who was six months old when he died in 1987, had a heart defect from birth.
In his memory, Rick and Joanne set up the Daniel Pitino Foundation and a Daniel Pitino shelter in Owensboro, Kentucky. The foundation has raised millions of dollars for kids in need.
Rick and Joanne had more bad luck after their son died. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 were especially hard on both of them because Joanne’s brother and Rick’s best friend, Billy Minardi, was working as a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center when American Airlines Flight 11 hit it.
Since 2002, a December home game at the University of Louisville has been called the Billy Minardi Classic, and a dorm on campus is called “Billy Minardi Hall.” Don Vogt, Rick’s other brother-in-law, was killed by a New York City cab just a few months earlier.
Career
Rick Pitino is an American basketball coach with a career spanning over four decades. He has coached numerous college and professional basketball teams, achieved great success and earned a reputation as one of the most accomplished coaches in the sport. Here is a detailed look at his career:
Early Career
Pitino began his coaching career in 1974 as an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii.
He then spent a year as an assistant at Syracuse before being named the head coach at Boston University in 1978.
During his two seasons at BU, he led the team to a 42-23 record and the school’s first NCAA tournament appearance.
New York Knicks
In 1983, Pitino was hired as the head coach of the New York Knicks. In his first season, he led the team to a 33-49 record, but in his second season, he guided them to the playoffs for the first time in four years. The team went on to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Providence College
After leaving the Knicks in 1987, Pitino took over as the head coach at Providence College. In his second season, he led the friars to a surprising Final Four appearance, where they lost to Syracuse in the national semifinals.
Pitino’s Providence teams were known for their high-scoring offense and aggressive defense, and he quickly gained a reputation as a rising star in the coaching world.
University of Kentucky
In 1989, Pitino was hired as the head coach at the University of Kentucky. He quickly turned around a program that had been struggling and led the Wildcats to the Final Four in 1993 and 1996, and to the national championship in 1996. During his tenure at Kentucky, Pitino’s teams were known for their up-tempo style of play and relentless defensive pressure.
Boston Celtics
In 1997, Pitino left Kentucky to become the head coach and president of the Boston Celtics.
Despite his success at the college level, he struggled to adapt to the NBA game and failed to achieve the same level of success with the Celtics. He resigned as coach in 2001.
Louisville
In 2001, Pitino returned to college basketball as the head coach at the University of Louisville.
He quickly turned around a struggling program and led the Cardinals to the Final Four in 2005, 2012, and 2013.
In 2013, he guided Louisville to the national championship, becoming the first coach to win titles at two different schools.
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