Official LIVE: what a turn up! Kentucky mark pope coach finally” showed up for pope in a great surprise manner after so many years” as he setup a colossal contribution” could be great history for mark pope…
Over the weekend, Rick Pitino made his eagerly anticipated return to the University of Kentucky, where he was greeted like a hero. He doesn’t think there will be a reunion like that with Louisville University.
The legendary college basketball coach does not think the Cardinals will ever accept him back.
Pitino is currently the head coach at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. It is the final stop of his well-decorated and controversial career. He will not coach another team after the Red Storm.
Even though Pitino is actively employed with a member of the Big East Conference, the 72-year-old has been very vocal in support of Kentucky over the last few months after his former player, Mark Pope, was named as the replacement for John Calipari. In fact, he pledged a large sum of money to the Wildcats’ NIL fund in support of the team’s new head coach and “cut a check” to the football program to ensure it never loses to its in-state rival.
Pitino coached at Kentucky from 1989 to 1997. The Boston Celtics hired him later that year and ultimately cut him loose in 2001. At that point, he went and coached 17 years at Louisville.
The Wildcats and Cardinals are bitter rivals so that move did not go over well with the folks in Lexington but they have since forgiven him.
Pitino made an emotional return to Kentucky for ‘Big Blue Madness‘ on Friday night. The raucous sold-out crowd went wild during his entrance, which took place almost 30 years after he led Kentucky to a national championship with Pope at point guard in 1996.
The reception to his speech nearly blew the roof off of Rupp Arena.
Pitino also attended the Wildcats’ home football game on Saturday night. He admitted that he could not imagine a similar outcome in Louisville.
There is no way to reconcile his relationship with the Cardinals after they threw him under the bus and kicked him out of the door during an NCAA investigation.
Rick Pitino will always have a special place in his heart for Kentucky. The same cannot be said for UL!
