Craig Smith fired: 5 Utah basketball head coach candidates
Richard Pitino
Rick Pitino is a hot name across college basketball for the job he has done at St. John’s, but his son Richard has also continued to succeed as a collegiate head coach. Richard had multiple stops as an assistant in the 2000s and early 2010s, most notably at Louisville and Florida. After one season as head coach at FIU, the 42-year-old earned an opportunity with a high-major program, Minnesota, where he coached for eight seasons. Richard led the Golden Gophers to two NCAA Tournament appearances and a 141-123 record overall. He has since found success at New Mexico with three straight 20-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2024. Richard is a strong recruiter with valuable experience at a young age. That makes him an intriguing target who has bounce-back potential in a second stint in a high-major conference.
