Iona Gaels head coach Rick Pitino looks on. Nov 28, 2021; Orlando, FL, USA; Iona Gaels head coach Rick Pitino looks on against Kansas Jayhawks in the first half at HP Field House. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-USA TODAY Sports

Rick Pitino shows little signs of slowing down. At 70, he’s as good a college basketball coach as there has ever been. And after three seasons at a mid-major, it might be time for him to return to the grand stage.

A bigger school will likely offer him a job this spring, whether at Georgetown, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Texas, or elsewhere. Pitino’s name is going to be mentioned for several potential openings. He has probably maxed out on what he can accomplish at Iona. The Gaels (22-7) won the Metro Atlantic Athletic and are the top seed heading into the conference tournament.

Last week, Pitino acknowledged the possibility of moving on.

Pitino told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, “It would have to be someplace really, really special with the type of president that I have here. Now, it’s easy. I got exonerated by the NCAA, they said you didn’t do anything, now it’s easy to hire me. But Seamus Carey didn’t have that guarantee.” 

Iona took a chance on Pitino in 2020. The school has been rewarded with a 38-9 league record and an NCAA Tournament appearance in his first season. No matter what happens over the next few weeks, Pitino has done his job. Perhaps he’ll stay if he’s perfectly content in New Rochelle, NY. But if he wants one final shot at changing the narrative, he should leave. He’s not too old. Mike Krzyzewski retired at 75 last season. The ACC alone features three active septuagenarians: Jim Larrañaga (73), Leonard Hamilton (74), and Jim Boeheim (78).

Pitino is more of an appealing candidate now. In November, the NCAA cleared him of wrongdoing related to the FBI investigation into college basketball. Pitino was fired from the University of Louisville after the federal fraud probe. The Cardinals also had their 2013 national championship vacated by the NCAA due to “arranging striptease dances and sex acts for prospects, student-athletes and others.”

Pitino has always maintained his innocence

Of his options, Georgetown might make the most sense. Pitino is best known for restoring glory to bluebloods like Kentucky and Louisville. He’s the only men’s head coach to win titles at two schools. So, he would be uniquely qualified to resurrect Georgetown. The Hoyas still have a coach but are expected to part ways with Patrick Ewing. (Coincidentally, Pitino once coached Ewing with the New York Knicks).

Georgetown, like some other Catholic school powers from the 1980s, has struggled to recapture its magic. Only, Villanova, which won a pair of championships under former coach Jay Wright, has seen a return to glory. John Thompson III enjoyed some success at Georgetown, including a run to the 2007 Final Four. His successor, Ewing, was supposed to usher in a new wave of optimism.  

The Hoyas’ struggles with Ewing have been shocking. He’s 75-107 in six seasons with only one NCAA Tournament trip. Ewing likely would have been ousted earlier if not for his buyout. This season, the Hoyas (7-23, 2-17) have the worst record in the league.

College basketball can be a weird place. Sometimes it’s about having the right fit. And despite Ewing being a famous alum, it isn’t working.

Pitino has spent plenty of time in the Big East. He coached at Providence and again at Louisville (before its move to the ACC). He knows what it takes to win in that conference.

Georgetown is the premier basketball recruiting hotbed in the country, known as the DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia). There’s enough talent within driving distance to build a contender. Plus, you can quickly turn a program around with the transfer portal, name, image, and likeness.

There’s a prime example right down the road from Georgetown. Maryland is 20-9 under first-year coach Kevin Willard (a Pitino disciple), a season after going 15-17.

Pitino would be the right guy to fix Georgetown. He’d be the right guy for a lot of places. Yes, he has baggage, and there’s stuff connected to his past that would make an administrator wince. But if some school wants to take a chance, Pitino is worth the risk.

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant, Anthony Grant, Amy Grant or Hugh Grant.