Love him or loathe him, Pitino great for the MAAC
When Rick Pitino was announced as the new head coach at Iona last March, it turned more than a few heads.
Here was the Hall of Fame coach returning to the college landscape after he was exiled in the wake of a scandal that cost him his job at Louisville.
Now, one calendar year later, there he was cutting down the net once again, having led the Gaels through a COVID-disrupted season to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship by winning four games in five days here inside Boardwalk Hall.
Pitino became the third coach to take five different programs to the NCAA Tournament as Iona joined a list that includes Boston University, Providence, Kentucky and Louisville. He’s taken three of them — Providence, Kentucky and Louisville — to the final four.
“We were stopped four different times (by COVID), we had key injuries and we still get there to cut down the nets,” Pitino said after Iona defeated Fairfield, 60-51, in Saturday evening’s final. “It’s pretty darn special. I wanted to coach at a New York school or a New England school, a small catholic school to end my career, and I was able to do that and it makes me very proud.”
Pitino’s opportunity at Iona — located just outside the New York City in New Rochelle — came about after Tim Cluess, who took the Gaels to six NCAA Tournaments in 10 seasons, stepped away due to health concerns. The Iona administration flew to Spain to meet with Pitino, who was coaching in Greece at the time because of his banishment from the college game.
The school gave him a reprieve when so many others preferred to look elsewhere as the stench of the scandalous allegations at Louisville hung over the then 67-year old coach.
Pitino admitted he deserved to be fired at Louisville for what happened under his watch, but has always maintained his innocence and repeated some advice he got from his son, Richard, the coach at Minnesota.
“Nobody cares whether you’re innocent, so you might as well stop saying it because nobody cares,” Pitino said. “People have their own lives, their own things, so why don’t you do what you do best and coach and recruit. Stop
trying to defend your honor because nobody believes you. We love you and that’s all that counts.”
Coach is exactly what Pitino did in the most unusual campaign anybody has ever faced. The Gaels (12-5) navigated 51 days of inactivity during the season and are the first No. 9 seed to ever win the MAAC Tournament. (Note: Iona was only the No. 9 seed because the league voted to seed on total wins instead of winning percentage.)
The Gaels won four games in five days with stifling defense, the defining moment a comeback victory over Siena in the quarterfinals when they locked down the top seed to overcome a second-half
deficit.
“There’s been so much adversity,” said senior guard Asante Gist, who had 18 points in the championship game and was named tournament MVP. “The different things that go on behind the scenes ... I don’t think anybody understands what it’s like when you got to get shut down. You really are down. There’s no working out, nothing. You’re just sitting in the house.”
At Iona, winning the MAAC is business as usual. This is the program’s 13th championship and fifth in the last six years (the Gaels were officially eliminated before last season’s tournament
was canceled).
Now with Pitino on board — he insists this is his last stop in coaching — the potential and national spotlight for Iona is limitless.
“Stop saying I’m old,” Pitino joked. “Joe Biden may be a little up there, but I’m young. Although I’m 68, I’m going on 48 with my passion.”
That’s a scary thought for the league’s other 10 teams.
Love him or loathe him, he’s the best thing for the MAAC.
The qualities that go into making a scholar-athlete are much more than just how they play football or even how they conduct themselves in the classroom.
A scholar-athlete is also someone that shows leadership, commitment and dedication. Notre Dame’s Evan Tritt and Lawrence’s Rohan Dash are two players that represent those qualities.
ND’s Tritt and the Cardinals’ Dash are their school’s honorees at the 59th Annual George Wah Scholar-LeaderAthlete Awards event sponsored by the Delaware Valley Chapter National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.
The event will be enjoyed in a very different manner this year due to the current pandemic.
This year the athletes and other honorees will be recorded at the Princeton Marriott on March 21 and then the event will be streamed on April 25.
The other high school scholar-athletes that will be recognized and will receive a $1,000.00 scholarship are Daniel Poinsett (Bordentown), Dan Merkel (Allentown), Dayne Ellis (Ewing), Michael Nielsen (Hamilton West), Thomas Hurley (Florence), Kyle Madden (Hightstown), Kelvin Smith (Hun), Drew Friedman (Lawrenceville), Jonny Percodani (New Egypt), Austin McHugh (North Hunterdon), Tommy Belsky (Hopewell Valley), Elijah Baldwin (Nottingham), Aidan McHugh (Peddie), Nicholas Muscara (Pennington), Dylan Angelucci (Princeton), Michael Surtz (Robbinsville), Deklin Smith (Steinert), Devin Hairston (Trenton) and Moses Harris (West Windsor-Plainsboro Schools).
The adult award winners are national broadcaster and Phillies TV voice Tom McCarthy (Robert F. Casciola Distinguished American), Rick Mantz (George O’Gorman Contribution to Amateur Football), Andrew Patterson, Robbinsville High School (Hank Johns Coach Award), Justin Johnson, NJFOA, Central Jersey Chapter (Jack Millard Officials Award), Harrison Kertes, Bordentown Bulldog Youth Football (Delaware Valley Chapter Little Scholar), David Wardell, Special Olympics of New Jersey (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Champion Award) and Andrew Donoghue, The College
of New Jersey quarterback (TCNJ Earl H. Dean Scholar-Leader Athlete).
Tritt has excelled on the football field and the lacrosse field and served as team captain in both sports.
A fierce competitor and injury forced Tritt to the sidelines in 2020, but it only served to sharpen his leadership qualities.
“Unfortunately, in 2020 Evan suffered an injury and was unable to play,’’ said Notre Dame coach Sean Clancy. “Through these adverse conditions, Evan has always demonstrated commitment and leadership to Notre Dame football, never missing a practice, workout, or game. Evan leads because the role comes naturally to him, but not all-natural leaders put the needs of others first. Evan has demonstrated in these very trying times that he is always willing to put the other fellow first. Evan has a comprehensive academic, leadership and service foundation that he has earned here at Notre Dame. I feel that Evan is a great representative of our school.’‘
Tritt, who is an excellent student, is the president of the Catholic Athletes for Christ group and he is a volunteer at the local food bank.
“Conversations with Evan over the four years have always been welcomed,’’ said Kevin Deal, the Assistant Department Chair of College and School Counseling. “He is respectful, appreciative and open to explore ideas and options whether it be the excitement and challenge of selecting appropriate courses from year to year or the exploration of e colleges and careers of interest. Evan’s biggest challenge was self-discovery. The younger sibling of a successful and athletic brother Evan sought to establish his own place at ND out from under the Lil’ Brother label. His fouryear journey has been rewarding as Evan explored interests, activities and academics of his own choice. He found confidence in the classroom, his own place and competitiveness on the athletic field and compassion in the service class, while emerging as a leader on the field and in the locker room.’’
Rohan Dash excelled on the offensive line, at tight end and defensive end and was the complete team player and always would play wherever he was needed.
“Rohan exemplifies what a studentathlete is,’’ stated Lawrence coach Rob Radice. “He is an outstanding football player and an outstanding student. Rohan is one of the reasons why coaches love to coach. He is a person who always puts the team first and leads by example. He always gives 100 percent in practice, games, and in school. He is very unselfish and always puts the team ahead of himself. He is the type of person you want your son to be like. He is one of the most well rounded student-athletes I have had the pleasure of teaching and coaching in my thirty year career. Words alone cannot fully describe the type of person Rohan Dash is. Character, outstanding work ethic, strong values, great leader, compassionate, committed, respectful toward others, are all just a few of the traits Rohan possesses.”
Dash has been just as impressive in the classroom and in his many outside activities.
“Boasting a 4.3 grade point average and ranking in the top ten of his class,’’ said Anthony Ammirata, Social Studies Teacher. “Rohan always attacks his tasks and assignments with unrelenting vigor. Finance and politics interest Rohan immensely. He is an ongoing member of Lawrence High School’s DECA club, where he placed fifth at the organization’s regional competition in 2018 and qualified for the national competition in 2019. Additionally, Rohan is active in Model Congress and Model United Nations, which provides a platform to sharpen his political skills while simultaneously analyzing issues at the national and global scale. Rohan also, is an accomplished athlete, earning a varsity letter in football during his junior and senior years. He plays in a jazz band, a member of Lawrence High School’s Concert Band and is a peer leader who along with community members - plan fundraiser events so both school and community can benefit together.’’