https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/xavier/2025/03/25/richard-pitino-replaces-sean-miller-xavier-basketball-head-coach-new-mexico-minnesota/82664058007/

In the Big East with his old man.   That first game will be on ESPN with a whole lot of ESPN driven hoopla behind it.

I like it!

8 hours ago, Tranquility Base said:

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/college/xavier/2025/03/25/richard-pitino-replaces-sean-miller-xavier-basketball-head-coach-new-mexico-minnesota/82664058007/

In the Big East with his old man.   That first game will be on ESPN with a whole lot of ESPN driven hoopla behind it.

I think FOX has the Big East contract, not ESPN.

Great move and great fit!!

Richard can win a lot there. Good move for him. 

The name definitely makes this an exciting hire. However, hopefully it ends up being a good hire too, and not just exciting because of the name. Pitino is more known for who his dad is, than what he has done as a coach so far. He has not been overallvery successful as a coach over his 13 years as a head coach, and especially has struggled in conference play overall during his time as a coach. With that said he also became a head coach at a very young age. So hopefully this past year was a sign that he has started to grow as a coach now, and starting to get it figured out, because he had a very successful team this year. If that is the case it could be a great hire. 

I take Richard Pitino over Chris Mack in the blink of an eye. 

45 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

I take Richard Pitino over Chris Mack in the blink of an eye. 

Especially in this scenario. Chris Mack has been there, done that at Xavier. No need for a re-tread.

On 3/26/2025 at 10:34 PM, TheDeuce said:

Especially in this scenario. Chris Mack has been there, done that at Xavier. No need for a re-tread.

Worked for Sean Miller.

Little known fact, and I mean little known...my Junior Pro team beat Richard Pitino's team way back in 1995 in state qualifiers for nationals. 

 

We finished fourth in the nation that year. 

On 3/26/2025 at 9:47 PM, Voice of Reason said:

I take Richard Pitino over Chris Mack in the blink of an eye. 

Do you take Pitino over Mack, just because Mack has always been the Xavier coach before. Or because you think Pitino is the better coach? I ask because they both have been a head coach for basically the same amount of years, but yet Pitino head coaching resume isn’t even close to what Mack has done as a head coach. Now if you think it’s better to go with someone new and not go back again, I definitely get that. 
 

With that said, as I mentioned hopefully this past year was a sign of the type of coach Pitino is becoming. 

Good move for both. Xavier will be better from this.

6 hours ago, futurecoach said:

Do you take Pitino over Mack, just because Mack has always been the Xavier coach before. Or because you think Pitino is the better coach? I ask because they both have been a head coach for basically the same amount of years, but yet Pitino head coaching resume isn’t even close to what Mack has done as a head coach. Now if you think it’s better to go with someone new and not go back again, I definitely get that. 
 

With that said, as I mentioned hopefully this past year was a sign of the type of coach Pitino is becoming. 

Because I have always thought Mack was overated as a coach. The success he had at Xavier surprised the heck out of me. I know coaches who have heard him at coach clinics that said one session with him is more than enough. 

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

Because I have always thought Mack was overated as a coach. The success he had at Xavier surprised the heck out of me. I know coaches who have heard him at coach clinics that said one session with him is more than enough. 

This is very true.  Mack is not exactly the great orator.  Plus he comes across as one of those guys at the clinics that gives you some information but is always holding something back....as if some college coach is going to use the information he divulges at clinics in a scouting report to beat his team.  I am not a big Mack fan as far as his X and O abilities but he can recruit very well!

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

Because I have always thought Mack was overated as a coach. The success he had at Xavier surprised the heck out of me. I know coaches who have heard him at coach clinics that said one session with him is more than enough. 

He has 9 NCAA tournament appearances with 3 sweet 16s and 1 Elite 8.  Not sure I'd consider him overrated with those numbers.  Pitino has 4 appearances with 2 wins.