Maryland basketball is searching for a new head coach and according to a report they have their sights set on Rick Pitino.
The Maryland Terrapins need a new head coach after parting ways with Mark Turgeon at the end of last year.
It would seem they have focused their search on one big name: Rick Pitino.
The Sports Junkies podcast with Jason Bishop and Eric Bickel reported as much on Wednesday.
Maryland basketball reportedly wants to hire Rick Pitino
“We’re not saying Rick is the guy,” Bishop said. “We’re just saying that Maryland really likes Pitino. He’s their top dog.”
Bickel echoed that sentiment and added a couple of more details.
“He’s their number one choice,” he said. “They’re going hard after him right now and there are a couple donors that are leading the charge.”
Pitino is currently coaching at Iona, where he’s been since 2020. In his first season, the Gaels made it to the NCAA Tournament. This year they sit first in the Metro Atlantic this year with a 23-5 record.
There is no question Pitino is an excellent basketball coach. But there’s a reason he’s currently coaching at Iona instead of a bigger program.
He’s led multiple teams to the Final Four, winning national championships in 1996 with Kentucky and 2013 with Louisville. However, he has gotten into a lot of trouble in his career. His 2013 national championship was vacated over a sex scandal involving escorts and recruits. The program was also involved in the 2017 FBI corruption scandal, which resulted in his termination.
After coaching overseas, Pitino got another chance to coach in college basketball with Iona and called it his “last stop” as a head coach.
So Maryland could be fighting against two tides: Potential backlash about hiring a coach with such a messy past and convincing said to coach to even make the move.
For more NCAA basketball news, analysis, opinion and features, check out more from the FanSided college basketball section to stay on top of the latest action.