He's Coming Home: Rick Pitino Is Finally Returning To The Kentucky Sidelines vs Vanderbilt (Game Of The Week), One Step Closer To Being UK's GM
I never thought I'd see the day where Rick Pitino was happy to come back to Kentucky. This is a new era and it's one that we've waited forever for. It's also an A+ job by Pitino to start his campaign for the job he was always destined to have - GM of Kentucky basketball. He's got his guy Mark Pope as head coach. He's giving money to his pal Mark Stoops and helping out with NIL. You put him in that corner office, let him help out Pope and we're right back to the glory days. Of course he had to wait out Calipari, this never happens if Cal is still here.
The relationship between Pitino and Kentucky has always been weird to say the least. He brought us out of the darkest times. He made Kentucky basketball matter again in the 90s. He had a dynasty rolling before he left for a subpar job in Boston. Left after back-to-back trips to the title game (and before a 3rd straight). If he stays at Kentucky he ends up winning the most games in college basketball history, he has a few more titles and everyone agrees that he's one of the 3-5 greatest coaches the sport has ever seen.
Instead he fails with the Celtics and takes the Louisville job. He becomes the enemy and the rivalry reignites with the Calipari hire. But that's all the past. He's now here, ready to help coach in the game of the week. Name another game this week where the two teams each have a top-10 win? That's Kentucky vs Vanderbilt. Powerhouse vs powerhouse. Need Pitino on the sideline convincing Brad White to run some sort of defensive press scheme. It's what he does best. 40 minutes of hell turns into 60 minutes of hell.
Welcome home, Rick. We'll see you in a couple years when you officially become the GM and come back to the job you never should have left.