Breakers in talks with controversial coach
The New Zealand Breakers’ search for a new head coach is taking them into some interesting territory.
Two weeks after Paul Henare stepped aside as Breakers coach, the club yesterday confirmed reports they have been in discussions with controversial former Boston Celtics and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino, although he quickly poured cold water on the idea.
The Breakers had reportedly offered their head coaching role to Pitino — an excellent coach with a bevy of accomplishments — but who had come under fire in the past year after being let go at Louisville over a scandal where the school was investigated for paying players.
The investigation alleged an adidas representative attempted to pay the families of high school prospects to play at Louisville, and then link with adidas when they turned professional.
Due to the nature of the NCAA college basketball system, players aren’t allowed to be paid, despite
creating the bulk of the revenue, and despite protesting his innocence, Pitino was fired after being linked to the scheme.
Louisville also had their 2013 title and 2012 Final Four successes under Pitino rubbed out by the NCAA, after
an investigation over an escort sex scandal in 2017 involving recruits. As a result of that, Pitino was last year charged by the NCAA with “failure to monitor his basketball programme”, and suspended for five games.
Surprisingly, the Breakers are interested in his services, with general manager Dillon Boucher confirming to the Herald on Sunday discussions had taken place.
“I can confirm that we have spoken with coach Pitino’s representatives but we will not be commenting on an active coaching search,” Boucher said.
For his part, Pitino quickly dismissed the idea.
“It’s total BS — someone trying to poke fun at me,” Pitino told the Louisville Courier Journal. “Lot of comedians out of work.”
That comment likely refers to the Pardon My Take podcast, the hosts of whom have a stake in the Breakers’ new ownership group, and regularly poke fun at Pitino.
For many reasons, the partnership between the Breakers and Pitino was never likely to happen, but this is another sign the club is going to plonk itself in the middle of the sporting news cycle this off-season — for better or worse.