Pitino to kick off tenure on Thursday
Opening news conference to be in football stadium
The setting will be unique. What’s new for 2021? Richard Pitino, the man tasked with once again filling the Pit, will be introduced officially as the new Lobo men’s basketball coach in a Thursday noon news conference across the street, inside University Stadium.
The introductory news conference is open to the public and also will stream online at at GoLobos.com/Watch.
While the past two introductory news conferences were held in the club level of the Pit in 2013 for Craig Neal and 2017 for Paul Weir, the Pit’s availability now is limited. A mass vaccination operation continuing for COVID-19 has seen thousands of New Mexicans come in and out of the arena in recent weeks.
It’s an ironic twist for an arena that, due to COVID-19, just wrapped up its first season in more than a half century without a single fan being allowed in to watch a game.
Nevertheless, the business of Lobo basketball marches on, even if its formal starting point on Thursday will be in a football stadium.
Wednesday, UNM athletic director Eddie Nuñez took a private chartered plane donated by an unidentified university booster to Minnesota and picked up Pitino and his family — posting videos on social media of the trip, including the new 38-year-old coach’s first pitch, of sorts, to fans.
“We’re excited,” Pitino said. “It’s going to be a special, special ride and we want you to be a part of it.”
Not coincidentally, Wednesday also brought with it by UNM an announcement that season ticket deposits for both football ($86 deposit) and men’s basketball ($99 deposit) are now being accepted for the 2021-22 season. More details on prices and COVID-19 related seating and attendance parameters are yet to come.
More information is available online at GoLobos.com/tickets.
MATOS MOVING ON? Even before Pitino set foot in the Land of Enchantment as the new Lobos coach, 6-foot9 freshman forward Bayron Matos
announced he would be entering his name into the transfer portal. He said he’s keeping UNM as an option, though it is unclear what the new coaches’ thoughts on that will be.
Matos played in 20 games this past season for the Lobos, starting 15. He averaged 6.0 points and 4.1 rebounds. He did not play in UNM’s final two games — both after the announcement of Paul Weir’s firing on Feb. 26.
Neither UNM nor Matos has said publicly why that was. The same is true for Lobo junior forward Rod Brown.
Matos announced his transfer portal decision on social media Wednesday morning:
“While I love being part of Lobo Nation, it has been a very challenging year on many levels. I have decided to enter my name in the transfer portal to explore all of my options including returning to New Mexico and playing for Coach Pitino. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for me and appreciate all the love and support I have received during my time in Albuquerque.”
MOUNTAIN WEST CAROUSEL: The conference is already in full spin mode for this year’s ride on the coaching carousel.
UNM has made its full revolution — parting ways with Paul Weir on Feb. 26, though he did coach out the rest of the season, and hiring Pitino on Tuesday.
San Jose State has also already announced the parting of ways with Jean Prioleau, who, like Weir, started as a head coach in the league in 2017.
While, Iowa State hasn’t said anything officially, multiple reports have been out since Tuesday that T.J. Otzelberger will leave UNLV and return to fill the vacancy at Iowa State, where he was once a popular assistant coach.
With three league coaches already linked as possible candidates to replace Pitino at Minnesota, this could be the most turnover in an offseason for the league since it expanded to 11 teams in 2014. There were also three changes in 2017 and in 2018.
FAMILY AFFAIR: The UNLV news gives the Rebels a shot at getting the guy fans seemed to really want in 2019: Rick Pitino.
Aside from the awkwardness, and nodoubt entertainment value that would create as UNM just hired his son, there is the reality that the elder Pitino has shut down the idea about as clearly as one can shut down such an idea in an industry where nothing can ever be counted out.
Rick Pitino, in a press conference Tuesday about his Iona team’s NCAA Tournament game this week against Alabama, said this about his name popping up for any job this offseason:
“You could come to me with the greatest job on earth and I would not consider it,” Rick Pitino, age 68, said. “I came home to coach and end my career at a small Catholic school. … I owe (the Iona president and athletic director) everything. Their loyalty — I’m not going anywhere.
“If I go anywhere, it’s going to be retirement, and I’m not looking forward to retiring anytime soon.”