Former Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino is trying to get back into the game. Pitino has been out of work since getting fired by the Cardinals ahead of the 2017 season in the midst of an FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball.
But now that he has spent months away from the bench, he’s looking to put his name back in the mix for some opportunities.
According to a report from Marc Stein of the New York Times, Pitino and his camp reached out to the Milwaukee Bucks to express interest following the firing of Jason Kidd.
Milwaukee, however, has yet to confirm any interest.
No confirmed NBA interest in Pitino has yet emerged. The only known contact to date he’s had with an NBA team, league sources say, was initiated by Pitino’s side — not the team (Milwaukee)
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 30, 2018
If Pitino doesn’t get offered the NBA job, he still has a gig on the table. Stein added that the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s National Basketball League have offered Pitino their head coaching job.
The New Zealand Breakers, I’m told, have offered their vacant head coaching position to former Louisville coach Rick Pitino. The @NZBreakers play in Australia’s @NBL and their new American ownership has been pitching Pitino’s representative on the post this week.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 30, 2018
Desperate times call for desperate measures, so could Pitino end up coaching in Australia? Anything is possible, just look at the Ball family’s Lithuanian takeover.
