Rick Pitinos Message Under Final Four Reunion

On By Littum

game

  • Former coach Rick Pitino, who led the team to Final Four, sent a video message to the team and fans.
  • Pitino, now coaching in St. John’s, expressed his love for Louisville and said he considers them “good friends.”

Members of Louisville Basketball’s team 2004-05, who ended the program’s 19-year-old Final Four drought, reunited on Saturday afternoon at KFC Yum! Center to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their “march to the arch.”

And their coach, Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, was not left out of the festivities despite being tied with a stellar second season at St. John’s to this point.

“Boy, I wish I could be there,” Pitino said in a pre-recorded video that was broadcast on the Arena’s videoboard at the break about what ended up in an 88-78 victory over Miami for Cardinals. “Unfortunately, I’m still coaching. Why? I have no idea.”

See Pitinos Message Full Below:

game

Louisville Basketball: Rick Pitino sends message under Final Four Reunion

Former Louisville -Basketball coach Rick Pitino shared a video message for Cardinals ’20 -Year anniversary of the Final Four team in 2005.

First-year U by L-coach Pat Kelsey was back in the dressing room during the ceremony, but told journalists afterwards he watched Pitino’s video before the game. It is safe to say that he had a smile in his face when he came to the end of it.

“Very few have been lucky enough to train at the University of Louisville and you are one of the few now,” Pitino said, addressing Kelsey directly. “You are doing a great job; we are all so proud of you.”

Pitino ended his remarks by showing love for the fan base.

“I’ve never got a chance to say goodbye to you; And I won’t, ”he said. “Because good friends you love you never say goodbye to. You just say hello.”

Pitino followed the Hall of Famer Denny Crum in Louisville in 2001 and gathered a 416-143 record across 16 seasons. By leading the 2004-05 team to Final Four, he became the first coach in the NCAA story to take three different programs so far.

Pitino reached the last four twice more with the cards and won a national championship in 2013, but these races were vacated in 2018 due to a scandal involving the payment of strippers and prostitutes to dance for and have sex with men’s basketball players and recruits .

Pitino was fired in 2017 in the midst of another scandal-this-centered about alleged recruitment violations that came from U for L’s persecution of former five-star prospectus Brian Bowen II. By 2022 he was released in the case of the independent responsibility resolution process.

Well Louisville Lord’s Basketball Reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on x at @Brooksholton.