This past weekend both Kentucky and Louisville honored beloved title winning teams. Beloved players from both programs and in Kentucky’s case one beloved coach (who had his own sour ending) triumphantly returned and were honored by fans of these two historic programs. One figure was noticeably absent from both festivities and his absence cast a long shadow and left one burning question. Where was Pitino? How could a man who helped build one of the best runs in CBB history at Kentucky and brought a proud program back from wandering the desert be left out of a celebration that honored teams he built?
How Did We Get Here?
On the Kentucky side of things there has been love-hate relationship with Pitino and Kentucky fans since he made the decision to return to CBB at Louisville. This was viewed as a betrayal of the program he had once dubbed “Camelot”. Benedict Pitino shirts were sold, boos rang loudly for more than a decade, and it led to the height of the UK/UL rivalry (since the 80’s). It also made the wins sweeter and I would argue that resurrecting the Louisville program also benefitted Kentucky even if we don’t want to admit it. The last image UK fans have of Pitino in Rupp Arena is him giving the middle finger to fans as he sulks off the court after another close loss to Cal and Kentucky but that shouldn’t be the image that defines his relationship with the program. Regardless of his behavior while coaching UL there is no doubt that Pitino should be honored for his role in the Kentucky basketball story. The program was on the brink of obscurity coming off sanctions when he took over and he built a modern juggernaut that cemented Kentucky’s place in the modern game. Some of his personal failings at UL are cringey but that should not sully what he did at Kentucky.
At UL the Pitino question is a littler murkier. UL is a proud program but were on the verge of becoming an afterthought in the landscape of CBB as Crum’s tenure ended. In stepped Pitino and almost immediately brought UL back from the brink and had them in the tournament by year two and were back in the Final Four by year four. The ending was, in short, ugly with sex workers in the dorm followed by being wrapped up in the FBI/Adidas Scandal led to Pitino being dismissed and threats of lawsuits soon followed. These scandals ultimately cost them the 2013 Title as the NCAA erased those accomplishments from the record books and has led to a massive transition at UL. Try as they might though the NCAA can not erase what happened on the court, we all saw it and without Pitino UL isn’t the same.
Can We Fix It?
It would be incredibly sad if Pitino is unable to get his flowers at both programs. I know egos and hurt feelings are hard to overcome but CBB is special because of the history and tradition that comes with it. These programs connect generations of families in the Commonwealth and are a source of pride. It would be a real shame to miss out on an important part of that history and frankly it would be a disservice to CBB at large. Pitino is a top 5 coach of all time in my opinion and both programs should make sure he’s honored as such, whether that be getting Iona on the schedule for both teams one week in November/December or working around his schedule. Good chance Pitino ends up back in major CBB next year with so many jobs opening up so we may have to wait a few more years but I think it’s best for all three (UK, UL, and Pitino) to let him have a moment with both sets of fans.
Saturday was a missed opportunity in my opinion by both programs (and possibly Pitino himself) but there is still time to rectify it. Basketball is special in the Commonwealth, and we owe it to ourselves to celebrate the past and make sure it is preserved for future generations so they understand where they come from.
