Has Rick Pitino lost his mojo?

[hoopboy]

I don't doubt that a bit. There were probably a lot of people that expected him to pick up right where he left off at Kentucky. That wasn't going to happen.

 

Why not?

[FormerCawoodTrojan]

He's done a very nice job putting together a staff that make the site a must for UK fans. No denying that. On the flip side Jones is one of the biggest flakes you'll ever meet, and while I can give the site credit for its success, that doesn't mean it changes my opinion of the guy after numerous first hand encounters...

 

I've known Matt for several years and now and I love the site for "comic purposes" only. I read it daily and usually get a chuckle out of it...nothing more, nothing less. He is from close to my hometown, and several of my friends back home are lawyers and/or judge...so we have a similar circle of friends. I find him to be a nice guy, that like someone else said worked tirelessly to get "in" at UK.

 

Yeah, the Duke portion to me just means he is pretty smart...and lived in a very boring place for a while. :lol:

[Cover Corner]

Pitino is still one of the best in game basketball coaches out there. His little drop here has been for some off the court issues coupled with some less than stellar recruiting classes. These things come in cycles, he will be back. He might never get to where he was in the late 90's, but those were not normal circumsatances for any team. I am about as big of a UK fan as you can find, but anyone who thinks Pitino has lost it needs to lay off the Kool-Aid.

[MountainThunder]

Pitino is still a great coach. They are having a down year, but a big part of that is the conference he is in which is BRUTAL this season. IMHO, he is still a great coach and I am an avid Big Blue fan.

[SSC]

What makes a great coach?

 

1. Players

 

2. Players

 

3. Players

 

4. Players

 

5. X's and O's.....

 

Pitino is only as good as his players. In the BE it is even more of an issue to not have really good ones. Louisville fans might think he hasn't lost it, but isn't there a good possibility they're worse next year? I'd say he sees he could belosing it. If he's tried to jump ship twice I'd guess there's something to that.

[Jim Schue]

He's still a great coach. I think some of you are just remembering the red-faced, always stomping around screaming Pitino of 15 years ago, when he was in his 40s. The guy's gotten older; he's had some health problems well before the recent marital dalliance. Age takes the edge off a guy, but that doesn't mean he cares less.

 

On the other hand, Bill Simmons has a theory about NFL coaches that once their age exceeds the speed limit (double-nickel), their chances of winning a Super Bowl bottom out. Pitino's 57, so that's something to think about.

[Original Rookie]

He's still a great coach. I think some of you are just remembering the red-faced, always stomping around screaming Pitino of 15 years ago, when he was in his 40s. The guy's gotten older; he's had some health problems well before the recent marital dalliance. Age takes the edge off a guy, but that doesn't mean he cares less.

 

On the other hand, Bill Simmons has a theory about NFL coaches that once their age exceeds the speed limit (double-nickel), their chances of winning a Super Bowl bottom out. Pitino's 57, so that's something to think about.

 

That sounds like a case for him "losing is mojo."

[gchs_uk9]

I think the biggest problem Pitino faces is the lack of great recruiting, which many of you guys have already said. Part of that lies in the fact that he doesn't appear to have a very good staff. A few changes on the bench, adding a couple guys to do the heavy lifting in recruiting, could make the coaching by Pitino look much, much better.

 

FWIW, the Pitino situation at Louisville has a really good shot at becoming like the Tubby situation at Kentucky, where they win a lot of games, lose several games, and don't recruit well. Tubby struggled in part because of a poor staff. Will the same problem end Pitino at Louisville?

[TheDeuce]

Another UK homer feeling good about himself because UK is back on the map again.

[Original Rookie]

From Matt Jones...

 

If you havent seen my Rick Pitino article from Saturday, then you may have missed the absolute toasting I am getting from UL fans on the CBS site and the UL message boards. It is strange because I thought I was being fair…I noted Rick is a Hall of Famer, is still a good coach and has a couple of good victories this year. But my point was that he isnt what he was at Kentucky….how is that controversial.

[Original Rookie]

I think the biggest problem Pitino faces is the lack of great recruiting, which many of you guys have already said. Part of that lies in the fact that he doesn't appear to have a very good staff. A few changes on the bench, adding a couple guys to do the heavy lifting in recruiting, could make the coaching by Pitino look much, much better.

 

FWIW, the Pitino situation at Louisville has a really good shot at becoming like the Tubby situation at Kentucky, where they win a lot of games, lose several games, and don't recruit well. Tubby struggled in part because of a poor staff. Will the same problem end Pitino at Louisville?

It is similar in a lot of ways. Tubby did win a title and never went to the NIT though.

[Original Rookie]

I'm trying to figure out what everyone disagrees with so much in the article. I think a lot of you are letting the fact that a UK guy wrote it cloud your judgment. There is certainly an anti-Rick tone throughout, which can be attributed to Jones being a UK guy but I'm having a hard time seeing this article lacking factual information.

[Jim Schue]

I'm trying to figure out what everyone disagrees with so much in the article. I think a lot of you are letting the fact that a UK guy wrote it cloud your judgment. There is certainly an anti-Rick tone throughout, which can be attributed to Jones being a UK guy but I'm having a hard time seeing this article lacking factual information.

 

I don't really take any issue with it. It's all in how you look at it, as I noted.

[MountainThunder]

Another UK homer feeling good about himself because UK is back on the map again.

 

This UK homer agrees with your assessment. I guess it is making up for the UL homers that felt so good about themselves just last season, partly because UL was really good, and the other part because UK was not.

 

I still think Rick is a great coach. I think it is difficult for any coach to have the run he had at UK on a consistent basis. These things go in cycles, and it doesn't help UL that the Big East is absolutely brutal this year.

[Original Rookie]

This UK homer agrees with your assessment. I guess it is making up for the UL homers that felt so good about themselves just last season, partly because UL was really good, and the other part because UK was not.

 

I still think Rick is a great coach. I think it is difficult for any coach to have the run he had at UK on a consistent basis. These things go in cycles, and it doesn't help UL that the Big East is absolutely brutal this year.

 

Which is another parallel to draw to Steve Spurrier in the SEC.