Is Rick Pitino‘s Son Still Coaching?
Yes, Rick Pitino‘s son Richard "R.J." Pitino is still coaching college basketball. After working as an assistant coach at Louisville under his father and at Minnesota, R.J. Pitino became the head coach at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY in April 2021. He took over an Iona program that had achieved great success under previous coach Tim Cluess, who resigned due to health reasons.
R.J. Pitino‘s Coaching Background
R.J. Pitino got his start in coaching working under his legendary father Rick Pitino at Louisville from 2007-2017. He served in various roles including director of basketball operations, video coordinator, and assistant coach. During his decade at Louisville under his father‘s tutelage, the Cardinals made two Final Four appearances and won the 2013 NCAA Championship.
After his father was dismissed from Louisville amid an NCAA investigation in 2017, R.J. Pitino spent the 2017-2018 season as an assistant coach under Richard Pitino (his brother) at Minnesota.
In 2018, R.J. returned to Louisville as an assistant coach under new head coach Chris Mack. He spent three seasons at Louisville in his second stint before accepting the head coaching job at Iona in 2021.
Becoming the Iona Head Coach
On March 28, 2021, Iona College announced the hiring of R.J. Pitino as the new head coach of their men‘s basketball program. He replaced Tim Cluess, who resigned after 10 highly successful seasons due to health issues.
Iona was coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019 and three straight MAAC regular season championships from 2017-2019. The Gaels played only 13 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-2021 season, going 9-5.
With big shoes to fill, R.J. Pitino brought a impressive coaching pedigree and experience to Iona. Athletic director Matthew Glovaski expressed great confidence in Pitino‘s ability to sustain success, saying "R.J. brings high energy, outstanding recruiting skills, and terrific experience."
Pitino‘s Success in Year 1 at Iona
In his first season at the helm in 2021-2022, R.J. Pitino guided Iona to a 25-8 overall record and a 17-3 mark in MAAC play. The Gaels won the MAAC regular season title for the fourth time in six seasons.
Iona suffered a disappointing loss to 9th-seeded Siena in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinals, ruining their chances for an NCAA berth. However, they did secure a bid to the NIT as a #1 seed where they defeated Florida before falling to St. Bonaventure in Round 2.
While the early MAAC Tournament exit was a letdown, R.J. Pitino overall had a very promising debut season at Iona. It marked his first head coaching job at the Division I level. The Gaels appeared poised to remain one of the top programs in the MAAC under his leadership.
Pitino‘s Coaching Philosophy and Style
Much like his father, R.J. Pitino coaches an uptempo, high-pressure defensive scheme aimed at turning opponents over and converting into transition scoring opportunities.
On offense, Pitino employs a motion system predicated on spacing, ball movement, and driving lanes to the basket. His style very much mirrors how his father Rick Pitino coached during a Hall of Fame career.
R.J. Pitino is regarded as an excellent recruiter, having brought elite talent to Louisville as an assistant. He made an immediate impact on the recruiting trail at Iona, landing two ESPN Top 100 recruits for the 2022 freshman class.
Pitino has talked about the importance of building trust and relationships with his players. He manages personalities well and connects with players on a personal level. These traits should aid him in establishing a winning culture at Iona.
Pitino Family Basketball Legacy
R.J. Pitino is part of one of the most prominent families in the history of college basketball coaching. His father Rick Pitino is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with two NCAA titles and 770 career head coaching wins.
R.J.‘s brother Richard Pitino has carved out a successful head coaching career of his own at Minnesota and New Mexico. So expectations were high for R.J. as he embarked on a head coaching career.
R.J. has been around the game his entire life as the son of a coaching legend. He has taken advantage of that access and experience to develop into a head coach himself. While the Pitino name carries weight, R.J. is focused on establishing his own identity at Iona.
With Richard and R.J. Pitino having both become Division I head coaches, the Pitino family coaching tree continues to grow. There remains a possibility that Rick Pitino could return to college coaching someday as well. The Pitino legacy in college basketball seems poised to be passed down for years to come.
Rick Pitino established himself as one of the highest-paid coaches in college basketball during stints at Kentucky, Louisville, and Iona. Here is a look back at his coaching salaries and contracts over his long career spanning over four decades.
Kentucky (1989-1997)
After successful coaching tenures at Boston University and Providence College, Pitino became the head coach at Kentucky in 1989. His original contract was for 5 years at $150,000 per year – low at the time but Pitino was confident he could build a winner.
By the time Pitino left Kentucky for the NBA in 1997, his salary had gradually grown to over $2 million a year. His final two Kentucky teams won the 1996 NCAA Championship and reached the 1997 NCAA title game. Pitino left an elite program poised for more success under his successor Tubby Smith.
Boston Celtics (1997-2001)
Pitino‘s stint in the NBA coaching the storied Boston Celtics franchise did not go nearly as smoothly. He could never lead the Celtics to playoff success.
Pitino originally signed a massive 10-year, $70 million contract to coach the Celtics in 1997. This $7 million annual salary still remains the highest ever for an NBA coach. Pitino resigned in 2001 with over $20 million still left on the contract.
Louisville (2001-2017)
After rebuilding his reputation back in college at Louisville, Pitino negotiated a 10-year contract extension in 2010 loaded with incentives. His base salary was around $3.9 million but reached as high as $7.5 million in seasons when Louisville met performance incentives.
Pitino‘s total compensation soared to $7.768 million in 2013 when Louisville won the NCAA Championship. He was the nation‘s highest paid coach when he was fired in 2017 amid the FBI recruiting investigation at Louisville.
Panathinaikos (2018-2019)
After his firing at Louisville, Pitino spent a season coaching in Greece for Panathinaikos in the EuroLeague. His contract was worth a reported €4 million euros. He led the team to a championship before returning to the U.S.
Iona (2021-Present)
Pitino‘s current contract at Iona College is for 5 years at a base salary of $1 million per season. That makes him the highest paid coach in the MAAC conference. With incentives, Pitino has the chance to earn up to $1. 45 million if the Gaels hit certain performance metrics on the court.
Rick Pitino had a very successful 16-year run as the head coach of the Louisville men‘s basketball program from 2001 to 2017. However, his tenure came to an unceremonious end when he was fired on October 16, 2017 as part of the fallout from an FBI investigation into fraud and corruption in college basketball recruiting.
FBI Investigation into College Basketball
In September 2017, the FBI announced wide-ranging charges stemming from an investigation into bribery and other corruption in the sport. College assistant coaches, financial advisors, and sports apparel company representatives were among those arrested for activities including paying thousands of dollars to influence star recruits.
The investigation specifically alleged that Louisville assistant coach Andre McGee had paid for strip shows and sex parties for high school recruits who later signed with the Cardinals. Pitino denied knowledge of these activities.
Pitino Placed on Unpaid Leave
With their program under intense scrutiny, Louisville placed Rick Pitino on unpaid administrative leave on September 27 while continuing to review the allegations. Pitino‘s lawyer released a statement saying the coach "effectively [lost] his job" by being put on leave.
Louisville also placed athletic director Tom Jurich on leave as more findings emerged outlining the school‘s involvement in trying to make impermissible payments to a top recruit‘s family.
Pitino Fired for "Just Cause"
Despite Pitino downplaying his knowledge of any improper activities, Louisville determined that it had "just cause" under his contract to terminate the Hall of Fame coach.
Pitino had survived past scandals at Louisville, but the severity of the FBI investigation‘s findings ultimately made his position completely untenable.
With evidence mounting against the program and more possible NCAA sanctions on the horizon, Louisville cut ties with Pitino after 16 seasons rather than trying to weather the storm with him at the helm.
Pitino maintained he was unaware of payments made to recruits‘ families, saying he passed a lie detector test to that effect. But Louisville concluded Pitino should have monitored his staff more closely and shared responsibility for violations occurring under his watch.
Aftermath at Louisville
Pitino finished his Louisville career with a 416-143 overall record, 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the 2013 NCAA Championship. But his exit under a dark cloud left the program in disarray.
Louisville struggled during the 2017-2018 season under interim coach David Padgett before hiring Chris Mack as permanent head coach in 2018. The school continues trying to appeal NCAA sanctions stemming from the scandal.
As for Pitino, he has rebounded from his Louisville firing to lead Iona College, determined to rebuild his reputation one final time. But his messy exit from Louisville will always be part of his complicated coaching legacy.
As a small Catholic college of just over 3,000 students, Iona College in New Rochelle, NY does not have the massive athletic budget of larger universities. However, investing in a high-profile head coach like Rick Pitino requires offering a salary commensurate with his experience and reputation. Here are the key details of Pitino‘s Iona contract and salary:
Pitino‘s Base Salary: $1 Million
Pitino‘s base salary from Iona is $1 million for each of the first two years of his initial five-year deal. That figure makes him the highest paid coach in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
For comparison, Tim Cluess earned approximately $625,000 in base salary in his last contract at Iona before health issues forced him to resign in 2020. Pitino‘s name recognition and Hall of Fame resume allowed him to command a higher premium.
Incentives Can Boost Salary to $1.45 Million
Pitino‘s contract includes up to $450,000 per year in potential incentives based on the team‘s on-court performance. His annual compensation can rise to $1.45 million if the Gaels reach all of the established metrics:
- $50,000 for regular season MAAC championship
- $50,000 for MAAC tournament championship
- $100,000 for NCAA tournament appearance
- $100,000 for Top 25 ranking at any point
- $100,000 for advancing to NCAA Sweet 16
- $50,000 for ticket sales exceeding 6,000 full season-ticket equivalents
These incentives give Pitino plenty of extra earning potential beyond his sizable seven-figure base pay.
Private Jet Use
One of the perks Pitino receives is access to a private jet for professional use up to $150,000 per year of the contract. For recruiting visits and travel to away games, the charter flights provide convenience and efficiency.
Buyout Terms
If Iona opts to fire Pitino without cause, his full contract amount would be guaranteed and he would be owed approximately $5 million total. The buyout terms are much less severe than the $35+ million Louisville owed him when he was dismissed there.
For Pitino to leave Iona, his buyout payment due back to the school starts at $3 million in the first year and decreases each subsequent year of the deal.
Overall, Pitino agreed to a very favorable contract for a coach of his stature taking over a MAAC program. Iona boasts one of college basketball‘s premier coaches at a significant cost, but hopes the investment pays dividends in money and wins.
Rick Pitino‘s new job at Iona College comes with a $1 million annual base salary that makes him the highest paid coach in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. But compared to other top college coaches and his own past contracts, Pitino‘s Iona pay is quite modest.
Pitino‘s Past Salaries
During his glory years at Kentucky in the 1990s, Pitino was the highest paid coach in college basketball, earning over $2 million annually. His last Louisville contract paid him between $5 million and $7+ million per season before bonuses.
As recently as 2017-2018, Pitino‘s $8 million salary would have ranked #2 nationally behind only Mike Krzyzewski. So he took a massive pay cut to lead tiny Iona versus blueblood programs.
Highest Paid College Coaches in 2021
The top of the college basketball coaching salary scale is now above $10 million annually. John Calipari (Kentucky) makes $11.5 million, Bill Self (Kansas) makes $11.2 million, and Mike Krzyzewski is at $10.7 million in his final season at Duke.
Those massive salaries dwarf Pitino‘s $1 million base pay. But the television revenue for major conference powers enables much higher coaching salaries. Iona simply cannot compete financially with Kentucky or Duke.
Other Notable MAAC Salaries
Among MAAC schools, no other basketball coach approaches Pitino‘s compensation. Monmouth pays King Rice $605,000 annually. Dan Hurley earns $1.3 million at UConn, but they play in the stronger Big East.
The MAAC median basketball coach pay is just under $300,000. So while Pitino took a big cut from the ACC and SEC, his salary scale is consistent with Iona‘s conference.
Was It Worth It for Iona?
Playing in a low-major conference, Iona is making an unprecedented investment in Pitino. His name recognition alone provides marketing value. And the on-court track record shows he can guide Iona to Big Dance appearances and victories.
If Pitino can make Iona nationally relevant and bring in donations, ticket sales, and NCAA units, his seven-figure salary could pay for itself quickly even if it‘s low for a legend of Pitino‘s caliber.