Why Wasn't Iona More Concerned About Rick Pitino's Past When Hiring Him? Was Iona concerned about Rick Pitino facing a suspension for up to half a season when hiring him back in March? It should have been.
Monday must have come as a terrible shock to the good people at Iona College. Rick Pitino, charged with an NCAA violation?!? How could this be?!?
The school issued a statement saying it is “aware of” the Notice of Allegations that was delivered to Louisville, which included a Level Two violation charge against Pitino for failing “to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the men’s basketball program” while coaching the Cardinals. Congrats to Iona on its awareness. (This is the new way university P.R. departments have chosen to say nothing when responding to bad news, by stating that they are aware of said bad news.)
That seems to be where Iona’s awareness ended, however.....
The school said Monday that it did “extensive due diligence” on Pitino before hiring him. By due diligence, that apparently means Iona officials talked to Pitino and his lawyer and his golfing buddies at nearby Winged Foot Country Club, who said they have never met a more upstanding NCAA rules follower in all their lives. Boxes checked, they went on with the hire.....
If you’re Iona, a mid-major program coming off a 12–17 season, you’re probably fine with the cost-benefit analysis here. You get a Hall of Fame coach who excels at every aspect of the sport. You weather the initial blowback after hiring a guy who arrives up to his eyebrows in recent scandal. You let him go to work, and you likely don’t have any tangible penalties until the 2021–22 season—if at all.
Would you take a half-season suspension and recruiting restrictions in exchange for, say, four years of Rick Pitino? Yeah, you probably would.
But poor Iona didn’t know it had to make any kind of squishy deal to get Pitino. The school had no idea there would be any NCAA trouble following the fired coach of the Cardinals from Louisville to New Rochelle. Who could have seen that coming?
I'm glad the board isn't freaking out about all this. Kudos to you all.
This was a BRILLIANT hire. Pitino will at MOST get suspended for 15 games--at MOST--and that won't happen until 2021-22, by the time the full process plays out. And with all this going on, you guys can stop worrying about bigger schools rushing in to take him from us. We will have him for at LEAST 3 years, if not the full five. Again--BRILLIANT hire.
I'm glad the board isn't freaking out about all this. Kudos to you all.
This was a BRILLIANT hire. Pitino will at MOST get suspended for 15 games--at MOST--and that won't happen until 2021-22, by the time the full process plays out. And with all this going on, you guys can stop worrying about bigger schools rushing in to take him from us. We will have him for at LEAST 3 years, if not the full five. Again--BRILLIANT hire.
Well at least so far in their thread not one voice questions the benefits of the hire by Iona, even if there will be some kind of penalty down the road. So I guess that means as far as their fans are concerned (at least those who care to comment), anything goes, even if there might be some morality questions, as long as they WIN. After all, bringing Pitino in was a "BRILLIANT" hire! I hope some of these same fans don't sour on Rick too quickly if somehow he doesn't at least equal what Cluess did his last four years on the bench, namely win MAAC championships. Big shoes to fill actually.
The big question is if Pitino will be able to recruit and/or keep his current recruits. A lot depends when the Penalty is started and finished. With basketball season might not even existing this year, a 15 month penalty could turn into a 2-3 year penalty.
Can someone explain to me the conclusion the Iona poster is coming to regarding not worrying about bigger schools rushing to take Pitino from them? Why is it not possible for Pitino to weather this for two years, then some other school without concern of Pitino's crooked past to lure him away for more exposure and money? Why would he certainly be there for at least three years?
The big question is if Pitino will be able to recruit and/or keep his current recruits. A lot depends when the Penalty is started and finished. With basketball season might not even existing this year, a 15 month penalty could turn into a 2-3 year penalty.
Speaking of Iona recruiting, it appears that Pitino not only filled up the roster, he appears to be one over the limit. Yet it also appears he continues to send offers to players for the coming year. Looks like he has made an additional four offers just this week.
Has he gotten a waiver that he can have more than 13 players on scholarship?
Can someone explain to me the conclusion the Iona poster is coming to regarding not worrying about bigger schools rushing to take Pitino from them? Why is it not possible for Pitino to weather this for two years, then some other school without concern of Pitino's crooked past to lure him away for more exposure and money? Why would he certainly be there for at least three years?
I would guess, bigger schools taking Pitino away from Iona is always a possibility. However, by his own admission he signed a contract with Iona including an immense buy out penalty clause that could make his premature buyout financially impossible for him to swallow or for a suitor school to accept. He signed the contract because it is his intention to finish his career as the coach of the gaels making the buy out clause not significant. Well I do not buy that for nano second based on this guys history. Time will tell!
The big question is if Pitino will be able to recruit and/or keep his current recruits. A lot depends when the Penalty is started and finished. With basketball season might not even existing this year, a 15 month penalty could turn into a 2-3 year penalty.
He may never coach a game for them. This could wreck their program and be disastrous for their school.
The big question is if Pitino will be able to recruit and/or keep his current recruits. A lot depends when the Penalty is started and finished. With basketball season might not even existing this year, a 15 month penalty could turn into a 2-3 year penalty.
He may never coach a game for them. This could wreck their program and be disastrous for their school.
Yeah I guess, although I would still call that a long-shot at the present time. OTOH it is interesting to note that there is a suggestion on the "MAAC And Around The NCAA" section of the Siena board by Tony (I think he's the administrator) in which he is speculating that Pitino has not actually signed a contract with the school yet. What could that mean if it was true?
Last Edit: May 5, 2020 15:07:10 GMT -5 by nashvillestag
NCAA penalties Rick Pitino could face as he begins Iona tenure Pitino could miss up to half a season if the NCAA finds his actions were aggravative in nature
....As it relates to the violations, Pitino was fired by Louisville for conduct related to the matter, and Louisville cleaned house in the wake of the scandal. Perhaps those factors will bode well for the NCAA's view of the situation for both the university and Pitino. But Pitino still faces a lengthy suspension unless evidence arises to the contrary in front of a hearing panel showing why it would not apply to him specifically.
Getting hit with a half-season suspension, which seems well within the realm of outcomes for Pitino, would stunt what momentum he's been able to establish in the two months since he took over the Gaels program. In just a short time, he's signed a six-man recruiting class for next year, led by Ryan Myers, the school's second-highest rated prospect all-time. There is buzz about the program. But now, for the first time in two months, Pitino's presence may be more of a buzzkill as Iona grapples with how to presently handle its coach's indiscretions of the past.
NCAA penalties Rick Pitino could face as he begins Iona tenure Pitino could miss up to half a season if the NCAA finds his actions were aggravative in nature
....As it relates to the violations, Pitino was fired by Louisville for conduct related to the matter, and Louisville cleaned house in the wake of the scandal. Perhaps those factors will bode well for the NCAA's view of the situation for both the university and Pitino. But Pitino still faces a lengthy suspension unless evidence arises to the contrary in front of a hearing panel showing why it would not apply to him specifically.
Getting hit with a half-season suspension, which seems well within the realm of outcomes for Pitino, would stunt what momentum he's been able to establish in the two months since he took over the Gaels program. In just a short time, he's signed a six-man recruiting class for next year, led by Ryan Myers, the school's second-highest rated prospect all-time. There is buzz about the program. But now, for the first time in two months, Pitino's presence may be more of a buzzkill as Iona grapples with how to presently handle its coach's indiscretions of the past.
Well to be honest even a half-season suspension for Pitino, while obviously embarrassing for Iona, nevertheless probably wouldn't effect the overall excitement and upward movement of the program in the long run, unless of course Rick has some other skeletons that come out which no one knows about. So (unfortunately) I believe the Gaels are truly going to become the dreaded monster of the MAAC for the next few years as long as he is in charge. Look at his recruiting success with the number of kids he has been able to get already. Of course while we don't know anything specific about how good each player will be I think it's fair to assume he wouldn't bring in many stiffs. I do however have to question the line in this article concerning Ryan Myers and suggesting he's rated as the school's second-highest rated prospect of all-time. I guess that would put him one notch below Jeff Ruland, but certainly with so many great players having performed for the Gaels over the years, that designation seems a bit high, particularly since the kid is only rated a 2* (in one website) and was not recruited tremendously by power conference schools, NC State the notable exception. Maybe the Pitino factor leads to a bit of an exaggeration based on reputation, right? We'll see.
Last Edit: May 6, 2020 8:52:32 GMT -5 by nashvillestag
Can you imagine if Pitino is suspended for the first half of the season, then comes back and Iona wins the MAAC Tourney in March? It would be quite a story, not necessarily a positive one....
Unless your are a Gael fan and then you won't care.
I really don't care. I understand that he broke rules and he/school should be punished, but to quote Tom Brady - "this isn't Isis."
The power schools essentially run pro-prep programs - assembling the best teams they can to represent their schools for huge $$$. I enjoy it all, but it is what it is.
"Pitino has a long, sordid history of NCAA trouble that dates back to the 1970s ..."
"Pitino graduated from giving out free McDonald’s food and used cars to hosting parties with strippers and prostitutes for prospective recruits at Louisville. "
"Pitino has clearly always had a funny interpretation of the rules and never really cared much about following them."
"And now Iona, too, is in the middle of this mess and having to defend itself. There is an old saying that goes something like, “If you lay down with dogs, you are bound to get fleas,” and, well, Iona learned this lesson the hard way."
Last Edit: May 6, 2020 16:44:21 GMT -5 by vastagman