Rick Pitino might replace Mike Woodson?!

[JJFAN4LF]

After telling two of UK's biggest boosters a few weeks ago that he would not feel comfortable leaving Louisville and going back to UK, it appears that Rick Pitino could possibly end up being the new coach of the Atlanta Hawks.

A high-ranking NBA official told me today that the decision-makers in the Hawks front office want to replace Mike Woodson with Pitino.

I tried to confirm this story with someone in Pitino's circle or on his staff. I got two responses. One person said it was news to him. The other said that it's a rumor that's definitely out there, but that it is not true. If it is true, there is great incentive for Pitino's people to dispel such an idea until after the Hawks season concludes. However, it is also fair to state that Pitino has not held any direct talks with anyone from the Hawks organization. Plus, even if he were to talk to someone in Atlanta, it doesn't necessarily mean he would take the job.

Such a move would be somewhat curious on both sides actually. Woodson has done a very respectable job with a roster full of young talent--with particular emphasis on "young." After taking the eventual champion Celtics to a 7th game in the first round last year, Atlanta came back this season and earned the 4th seed in the East by posting a record of 47-35.

But for whatever reason, it seems as though Woodson has been on his way out for the past two seasons. In fact, many people around the league believe that it was the Hawks strong first round playoff showing that saved his job last year. And if Atlanta were to knock off Dwayne Wade and the 5th-seeded Heat in the first round this season, it would make replacing Woodson over the summer even more difficult.

As far as Pitino is concerned, I am sure many people would be shocked to hear that he would even consider going back to the NBA after what happened in Boston. Or better yet, some might wonder why another NBA team would even give him a shot to coach again in the league. As I have said before, trying to figure out what motivates Coach P might require a PhD in psychology.

I have also learned that no decision should surprise you when it comes to Corporate America. There have been many good people who lost their job simply because someone above them didn't like them personally or how they went about their job, regardless of the results.

Pitino might look at another opportunity in the NBA as a means to redeem his last venture into the league. Remember, he guided the Knicks to the playoffs. So, it's not like he can't coach professional players. It just didn't work out in Boston for a couple of reasons.

1) Despite having the worst record in the league that previous season, the Celtics did not win the Draft Lottery. So instead of getting the obvious number one pick that year, Boston had to watch Tim Duncan head to San Antonio, where he would eventually win three NBA titles.

2) Pitino had too many former UK players on his roster. The tactics he used to motivate guys at Kentucky did not fly once those guys were A) making more money than him and B) did not need him to re-up their scholarship every year.

I am sure UK fans will have a field day with the possibility of Pitino leaving Louisville for the NBA. Some will say that Pitino is scared of John Calipari because he knows he would be the underdog in any recruiting battle between the two rival programs. I think "scared" is a bit too strong of a word, but I do know that Pitino and his staff realize their work on the recruiting trail will now have to step up considerably.

Speaking of recruiting, I guess this is as good a place as any to throw in this little tidbit, especially since it relates directly to Louisville. The word around many league offices is that elite 2010 UofL recruit Jeremy Tyler wants to follow Brandon Jennings' road to the NBA. Instead of going to college for one season, several league execs believe that Tyler will go play professionally in Europe for one season before entering the 2011 NBA Draft.

I am not sure if Pitino and his staff are aware of this belief, but if they are, maybe that's another reason he would want to get out of the college game and go back to the NBA. The paychecks are definitely more, and the headaches are definitely less.

Click here for source.

Im surprised this is being talked about when the playoffs hasn't even really started yet... weird. Hopefully this doesn't ruin any chemistry in the locker room.

[Diesel]

I have to go back to my memory banks to remember Pitino's Knicks or Celtics.

Maybe he can give the speech... "Dominique Wilkins is not walking through that door!!!"

[Admin]

I can't imagine a worse scenario. I'm absolutely open to replacing Woodson with a better coach but I don't think there's ANY college coach that I'd want to replace him with let alone Pitino who I only remember with the Celtics but I remember him as being out of his element.

[GameTime]

I can't imagine a worse scenario. I'm absolutely open to replacing Woodson with a better coach but I don't think there's ANY college coach that I'd want to replace him with let alone Pitino who I only remember with the Celtics but I remember him as being out of his element.

Honestly it wouldn't be a perfect scenario. But Pitino is a better coach than Woody. And his running style fits us better than Woodson's system. Rick Pitino led the Knicks to the Semi's only to lose to Jordan and the Bulls in 6. And the Celtics was just a horrible scenario. His Kentucky experiment didn't work and was only left with Antoine and Pierce. But he still managed to win 35 games in 2000. Also, I believe the new offensive rules will favor Pitino's coaching.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

If this rumor is valid, I'm sure it's only a ploy to get Louisville to shell out more money to Pitino, to make him a higher paid coach than Calipari.

The amount of money it would take to woo Pitino to the Hawks, would be staggering. He'd have to be paid in the top 5 - 7 of coaches in the NBA, to get him to come here. Plus, he'd be crazy to leave a situation like Louisville, where he's on the cuspof becoming a legend . . if he couuld win an NCAA title. He'd be closer to winning a championship in college, than he would be in the pros.

Some Lousiville booster will see this article, call up his friends, and say that the University needs to shell out more money to keep him.

[LOL_Hawks]

This could be interesting. My initial thought was "Oh God. One guy that I actually trust LESS with coaching an NBA team than Woodson." But after reading Dolfan's post, it could definitely be interesting.

But yeah, if I had to guess, there's probably a 2.2% chance of this happening. Pitino's tried the NBA and it didn't work out for him. Pitino has proven himself to be one of the best college coaches in the nation with one of the best college basketball jobs in the nation at Louisville, which has arguably the same passion for basketball as their counterparts in Lexington, but without all the crazy ridiculous expectations. No way in hell Pitino's leaving Louisville, and this is probably going to result in Pitino getting some more money at Louisville.

I hate the timing of this article, however. The last thing that this team needs at playoff time is rumors of THIS happening.

[BusBoyIsBack]

If you think our team is uncoachable now, just let the Hawks make a move like that and they'd be REALLY uncoachable

Edited April 18, 2009 by BusBoyIsBack

[mattlanta]

Pitino was a huge failure in the NBA... WTF is this?

[HamHawk]

I think his running style DOES fit our roster better than Woody's mindless scheme (or lack there of), and he wasn't a total failure in the NBA. Losing to Jordan's bulls in 6 isn't so bad. . . . it was Mike! I am really curious to see how things would work out if he came to the Hawks. Just can't decide if I'm curious enough to support making the move (if it's actually there to make)

[mattlanta]

How reliable is that source anyways?

[Dexmethylphenidate]

Well, I am open to replacing Woody for so damn long but replacing him with a college coach is a bad idea. It's like Woodson part II. Get somebody with an established NBA record like Mike Patello or Avery Johnson.

[DrReality]

Why would he come to ASG.

[frosgrim]

FWIW, I watched A LOT of Pitino's C's and truth told his biggest problem is that he got impatient after he didn't win the Tim Duncan lottery. He tried to go with the quick fix and didn't let the very good players he drafted mature. Remember they had Chauncy Billups, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker, and Chris Mihm. That wasn't a bad team at all, but it needed time to mature. Instead, Pitino traded almost all of the young talent for middle of the road vets.

That all said, I am at best 50-50 on Coach P coming to the Hawks. I think his offense can and would work very well in the NBA. I also think he will be extremely motivated to make it work this time around. That all said, I am not sure he would capture the ear of Josh Smith or even Joe Johnson (whom he traded away).

[GST]

Does this mean that the ASG expects an end to the Belkin lawsuit?

[NJHAWK]

Well if this is really being talked about by Hawks people Sund has to be the guy bringing it up. So the ? is does Sund have any connections with Pitino and since Sund was around last time Rick coached in the nba he knows very well how it went down. Id also have to say the chances of the Hawks shelling out big bucks for a coach with Woody having one year left are slim. I dont think they would pay big bucks for a coach even if Woody isnt under contract.

Edited April 19, 2009 by NJHAWK

[dlpin]

Pitino is not an NBA coach, and I have no idea why someone would try to bring him back into the NBA.

His abrasive style and micromanagement makes most pros tune him out after a while. He is a lousy talent evaluator and he loses his temper really fast if the fan base isn't as supportive as the fan bases he encounters in college.

Oh, and the bulls team he took to 6 was the bulls team who was still 2 years from a title, with Pippen and Grant in their sophomore seasons.

When he left the celtics, the celtics immediately became a playoff team with Jim Obrien, who is no phil jackson himself.

The same team Pitino failed to make the playoffs with is the team that Obrien took to the ECF.

[Diesel]

Maybe Pitino is pissing his pants because Kentucky got Calipari.

However, I doubt Pitino comes.

However, for those of you saying that Pitino is a bad coach, I disagree. Pitino took NY to the playoffs many moons ago (back when all they had was Ewing). His Boston adventure was ruined by Stern. Pitino had 2 lottery picks they had the worst record and the pick of the team with the second worse record and they ended up picking 3rd and 6th. This moment in NBA history is just a reminder that the draft lottery is fixed.

[T21]

I would never hire Pitti-no!

This is probably one of those media provocations on behalf of Miami Heat... Pay no mind...

[AHF]

I have zero interest in Pitino coaching the Hawks.

He is on the wrong side of his career and isn't a great NBA coach. I think we can do better. I will say he isn't as bad a coach as some are implying on here, though.

He is fantastic as a college coach, but only mediocre as an NBA coach (two different jobs, IMO).

What you have to be 100% sure of, though, is that if he is your coach that he is not also playing GM. Had someone else been the GM with authority in Boston, Pinino would have had a lot more success (although he never would have taken the job because he wanted that power).

[macdaddy]

This is just typical backwards promotion. Pitino wants to come to the nba so they are starting rumors about him coming to a place that A. is decent and promising B. might consider a change. He aint' coming here.