The Big East conference will soon lose the man in the ice cream suit. If you find Pitino gross or corrupt, so won’t have him to kick around anymore- in five years. Rick Pitino said yesterday he won’t coach past the 2016-2017 season when his current Louisville Cardinals contract expires.
“When you’re 59, you’re realistic that you don’t have a whole lot of years left,” Pitino said at a news conference before the No. 4 Cardinals play Georgetown on Wednesday. “My contract’s going to run out in 2017. I’m not coaching any more after that.”
From the AP:
The former Providence and Kentucky coach has guided the Cardinals to a 12-0 record so far this season.
Louisville’s Athletic Association granted Pitino, the only men’s coach to lead three different programs to the Final Four, a four-year contract extension in August. He’ll make $3 million in base salary until the end of the 2013 season, followed by $3.9 million a year.
Pitino didn’t use the word `retire,’ but has said in the past that Louisville would be his last coaching stop. He’s 253-96 in his 11th season at Louisville, which reached the Final Four in 2005.