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Rick Pitino hired as head coach at Iona College

Pitino is returning to the place that started all -- New York.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Rick Pitino is heading back to college basketball.

The former coach of the University of Louisville and University of Kentucky will head to back to New York and serve as Iona College’s head coach.

The news was revealed Saturday and in a news release, Pitino says he will work with the same “passion, hunger and drive” he’s had for more than 40 years.

Louisville parted ways with Pitino after an FBI investigation alleged Adidas paid a recruit $100,000 to steer them to the Cardinals.

The NCAA also faulted Pitino for not monitoring his former director of basketball operations, whom was given a 10-year show cause for arranging strippers for recruits and players.

This led to the program’s 2013 national title being vacated.

Pitino has had a storied career in college basketball by being the first coach to win a national title at two different schools.

He’s made 7 trips to the Final Four and was the first coach to take three different schools to the national semifinals.

His NCAA tournament record sits at 54-19 and overall record gives him a 74% winning percentage, third best among active coaches.

Pitino has been coaching overseas with Panathinaikos for nearly two years but that season was halted due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

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