Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Richard Pitino not a candidate for BU job

By Craig Meyer/DFP Staff

University of Louisville assistant Richard Pitino is not a candidate for the vacant coaching position at Boston University, Richard's father and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said Tuesday.

Pitino's name was being widely-mentioned as a possible candidate to replace former coach Patrick Chambers, who left the program Friday to become the head coach at Penn State University. Pitino was also speculated to be a candidate for the BU job in 2009 after Dennis Wolff was fired and Chambers was ultimately hired.

The 28-year-old Pitino rejoined his father Rick Pitino's staff at Louisville in April after a two-year stint as an assistant at the University of Florida under Billy Donovan. His arrival was part of an overhaul of Pitino's staff after former assistant Steve Masiello left to become the head coach at Manhattan College and former assistant Tim Fuller left for a similar position at the University of Missouri after just one season on the Cardinals' staff, a departure that prompted Pitino to consider a two-year commitment contract from anyone he brings on to his staff.

"Richard is under contract for two years," the elder Pitino said in a press conference today. "If the greatest job in America came up next year, he is not going anywhere."

Pitino's statements came within an hour of a tweet from CBS Sports and MSG Network college basketball writer Jon Rothstein, who claimed that Pitino was no longer under consideration for the BU job.

Upon Pitino's return to Louisville, rumors circulated that he was to be the program's head coach-in-waiting, but such reports were denied by Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich.

Other names who have been mentioned by national writers for the BU position have been University of Maryland assistant and former BU player Scott Spinelli, University of North Carolina-Charlotte assistant and former BU assistant Orlando Vandross, University of Washington assistant Raphael Chillious, as well as BU assistant and interim head coach Brian Daly.

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