Richard Pitino Will Be Next FIU Coach, Rick Pitino Confirms

Richard Pitino is the son of a legend in the world of basketball, and will be replacing another legend at Florida International, according to his father. Rick Pitino confirmed to the Associated Press that Richard Pitino will be the next coach at FIU, replacing the outgoing Isiah Thomas.

“You know I’m delighted, but I’m going miss [him] terribly,” Rick Pitino told the Associated Press. “I think one of the great things in 35 years of coaching was spending three years with him. Watch him grow as a basketball coach, and you sort of don’t want it to end.“Richard Pitino coached under his father at Louisville as an assistant for three years, from 2007 to 2009 and in 2011-12, and has additionally served as an assistant at Florida, Duquense and Northeastern. At 29, he will become the youngest college basketball head coach in Division I as the Golden Panthers’ head man, according to Statsheet.

Louisville Associate Head Coach Richard Pitino will be hired as the next head coach at Florida International University, according to reports. As you can likely tell, Pitino is the son of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino. He rejoined Louisville’s staff an assistant to his father for the Cardinals’ 2012 Final Four season and was an assistant to Billy Donovan at Florida for two years prior to that. The website AllKyHoops.com first reported the hiring, with the Miami Herald’s David J. Neal confirming the news in South Florida.

Pitino has long been considered an up-and-coming coaching candidate, rumored last year as a potential hire for the open job at Boston University. He will replace Isiah Thomas, who was fired just nine days ago by FIU. Pitino is known as a successful and aggressive recruiter and is familiar with the state of Florida after his time under Donovan. He will have plenty of work to do, with the Panthers coming off a season at the bottom of the Sun Belt standings with an 8-21 record.