Rick Pitino and Jerry Tarkanian. Yin and Yang. Day and night. Good and evil.
Clearly, Fresno State head basketball coach Jerry "The Shark"Tarkanian and recently retired Boston Celtics headman Rick Pitino are at opposite ends of the coaching spectrum. Both men have been in the news lately for different reasons.
Tarkanian ran the UNLV basketball program for nearly two decades, leading them to an NCAA title in 1990 and four appearances in the Final Four. He made a living going after players with a troubled past that other coaches wouldn't look at. It worked on the court. Off the court, however, there were problems, and Tarkanian resigned following severe NCAA sanctions and a brief ban from coaching. Following an unsuccessful one-year stint in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, most people felt the Shark's days as a coach were numbered. Most people were wrong.
In 1995 Tarkanian came out of retirement to head up his alma mater, the Fresno State Bulldogs. Despite the protests of many who felt the Shark was an example of everything wrong with college sports, FSU made the hire. Tark has done a remarkable job too, rebuilding the program and taking them to the NCAA tournament last year. This year the Bulldogs are in the top twenty-five with an impressive 20-3 record. Tark's teams have made people take notice out west and could be a legitimate threat when March Madness rolls around. However, despite his achievements on the court, including an astounding .803 winning percentage, many writers and journalists still look upon the Shark as the man in the black hat. An outlaw coach with outlaw teams. I love him.
Despite his problems with the NCAA and occasional rule bending, Tark is still a great coach. His teams are always exciting and play basketball the way it's mean to be played -- like a game. He came back to take over his alma mater despite it's second tier status among college basketball teams because he loves coaching and loves his hometown. Tark is a college coach; the NBA isn't for him. Ask anyone in San Antonio. I love his style of coaching, I love his gruff demeanor and towel chewing, I love his misfit players and I love how he makes the NCAA mad.
On the other coast Rick Pitino made his living as the head coach of the NBA's Boston Celtics for the past three and a half year before resigning this season. Although Pitino was far from successful with Boston, he possesses one of the more impressive resumes in coaching today. He led Providence to the Final Four in 1987 before leaving to coach the New York Knicks, where he was highly successful during his two-year tenure.
Then he left the Knicks to take over Kentucky, one of the truly elite programs in college basketball. Pitino lead the 'Cats to three Final Four appearances and one NCAA title in seven years before leaving to take over the Celtics. Pitino took over Kentucky at a time when the Wildcats were on probation. He quickly cleaned up the program and built a basketball machine during his time there. Since his resignation in Boston, his name has been mentioned with numerous college jobs, including UNLV, where the Tark once reigned and where once again, the Rebels are on probation. Things have come full circle. UNLV's president thinks Pitino can clean up Vegas and win like he did in Kentucky. Saint Rick. The great coach in the Armani suit. He makes me want to puke.
Pitino's pretty boy image is the kind of thing the dictators who run the NCAA love to promote. No one mentions what a shameless opportunist he is or that he has no loyalty to any team he coaches whether it's college or pro. He left Providence for the greener pastures of the NBA and the Knicks and a fat pro contract in his hometown. He quickly became disillusioned with the Big Apple and went to Kentucky. After winning his share in Lexington and making himself look good, he decided the NBA wasn't so bad after all and took a ridiculously large pay raise, this time to coach the Celtics.
Three years later the wins weren't coming so back to college for good old Rick. He's been flirting with UNLV for over a month now, saying he was interested and then backing off. No one seemed to tell Pitino that UNLV actually still has a head coach, Max Good, who is struggling to keep his job. In Los Angeles, Steve Lavin, head coach of UCLA had a brief scare when Pitino's name was mentioned as a possible replacement. It's hard to feel sorry for Lavin because he's a Pitino clone with his suits and greasy hair, but once again Saint Rick made things uncomfortable for someone and created his own job opening.
So UNLV, please don't hire Rick Pitino. Even if he takes the job and cleans things up and starts winning big time, he'll just leave again in a few years. Maybe for the NBA, maybe for another college team. Who knows, he could run for President. We all know he has the ego. Of course, if that does happen I have someone in mind to take over for him. I'll give you a hint -- his name starts with a "T" and ends with a "arkanian."
