Rick Pitino - Head Coach at St John’s University!!!
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billthetruth
Well-known member
He is arrogant, but I wouldn’t call what he said abusive.
I just think public, pointed stuff towards specific players is seldom motivating and effective.
ZanMan
Well-known member
Today's player is arrogant enough to think that HE is way better than the players Pitino is calling out (and hopefully he will be) and that HE is so amazing that HE WILL make a difference. If the NIL is good enough I don't see the problems with recruiting that some of you are seeing. Yes, this will keep the mediocre kids away, but I am starting to think this is his way of weeding them out.
I think he has tried every trick in has bag to get through to these players. This was his last attempt to motivate. This might speak to his arrogance to try it in public opinion.
I'm not going to repeat things I've already said. I'm just going to say that thus far - unfortunately - Pitino has managed to hit the bullseye on every one of the concerns I had when he was hired, often in spectacular fashion.
The key questions are this: Can his approach work in today's environment? And if it can't or doesn't, does he have the ability to adapt?
I don't know the answers to either of those questions, but it is certainly possible that the answer to both is "no."
Thus far his view has been that his approach is right and if it doesn't work then it's the players' fault, the staff's fault, the fans' fault - anybody but the head coach. The head coach is perfect as far as the head coach is concerned.
I suppose that next year we will find out if players who he now thinks are a better fit for his system suddenly make it all work better - or if his approach just doesn't work anymore.
If it's the latter then after that we will find out if his desire to win trumps his age, ego, and inflexibility enough to motivate adaptation - if it isn't too late by then to salvage the "I Am The Great Pitino" aura with transfers and recruits.
The jury is out here and is likely to be for a long while yet.
The key questions are this: Can his approach work in today's environment? And if it can't or doesn't, does he have the ability to adapt?
I don't know the answers to either of those questions, but it is certainly possible that the answer to both is "no."
Thus far his view has been that his approach is right and if it doesn't work then it's the players' fault, the staff's fault, the fans' fault - anybody but the head coach. The head coach is perfect as far as the head coach is concerned.
I suppose that next year we will find out if players who he now thinks are a better fit for his system suddenly make it all work better - or if his approach just doesn't work anymore.
If it's the latter then after that we will find out if his desire to win trumps his age, ego, and inflexibility enough to motivate adaptation - if it isn't too late by then to salvage the "I Am The Great Pitino" aura with transfers and recruits.
The jury is out here and is likely to be for a long while yet.
Two things can be true at once. It can be true that players are coddled and paid and should work harder. It can also be true at the same time that the coach who is paid even more, who is charged with building team chemistry, cohesion and success, and wining, does not get far at all by openly criticizing players by name. He recruited them, he has coached them (not successfully). HE can man up and admit he hasn't done his best coaching job, without naming names. The other stuff can take place in private, and the kids who won't want to or can't keep up will leave. The issue is his presser was unprofesisonal and unproductive.
MugCostanza
Well-known member
ZanMan
Well-known member
I too, do not like what he did publicly. I was simply trying to get inside his head. All we all want is to win and go to the dance every year. Next year at this very time we will know for sure if his mojo is gone. Until then, I remain optimistic. I mean, what the heck is one more year of blind optimism when I already have 40+ years of that under my (increasingly larger) belt as a fan?!
Do we think what we say on this public board is any better than what RP said during his press conference? He is coaching a team that let another team have a 28-0 run on themselves, I still don't know how that is even possible. I think what he said was fine but then again I saw no issues with Bobby Knight's style. The boot camp mentality will always prevail over the softer PC approach.
Rick Pitino takes responsibility for St. John’s season spiraling
“It’s 100 percent going to happen. There’s not a doubt in my mind.”
nypost.com
Clean up job
Time to move on.
guinness77
Well-known member
Happy to see him say this. Other than winning a game, this is the best way to put Namegate into the past. Better late than never.
Rocket
Well-known member
Add UCLA with Cronin earning millions of $. They 14-12 with higher ranked recruits out of high school.
When the NIL and Free Agency became modus operandi, the players can be publicly named since they have chosen to become paid public figures with freedom of mobility.
Name, Image and Likeness $$$...........well our coach just called you out by the name you are getting paid for........and that name is not SAINT JOHN'S.
“My players get a lot of love, my players get a lot of attention, my players all have great NIL deals. I’m preparing six guys for a very difficult time that lies ahead for them in the basketball world, and I want to prepare them the right way to be mentally and physically tough, to be able to handle any situation.”
See guys, the moral of the story is that Rick's actually a hero
See guys, the moral of the story is that Rick's actually a hero
Happy I'm not married to the guy“My players get a lot of love, my players get a lot of attention, my players all have great NIL deals. I’m preparing six guys for a very difficult time that lies ahead for them in the basketball world, and I want to prepare them the right way to be mentally and physically tough, to be able to handle any situation.”
See guys, the moral of the story is that Rick's actually a hero
He took accountability and told the truth.“My players get a lot of love, my players get a lot of attention, my players all have great NIL deals. I’m preparing six guys for a very difficult time that lies ahead for them in the basketball world, and I want to prepare them the right way to be mentally and physically tough, to be able to handle any situation.”
See guys, the moral of the story is that Rick's actually a hero
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
He took accountability because he had to. The story was getting way too much press. Still I am glad he said something.
But just so you know, someone can "tell the truth" and still manipulate you. For example, saying "I’m preparing six guys for a very difficult time that lies ahead for them in the basketball world, and I want to prepare them the right way to be mentally and physically tough, to be able to handle any situation.”
Is a nice sentiment at face value. But this quote really doesn't adequately explain away his postgame comments. if ALL he said about his players was that they need to be tougher physically/mentally, then ok. But that's not what he did, he called them too slow and unathletic to win in the Big East. Which is something these players can't fix by just "being tougher".
That above quote is truly spectacular. The way Rick publicly called players out for physical attributes they can't even change, and then frame it days later that he's just trying to help prepare the players for the future, is a spin that maybe only an Olympic figure skater could pull off
The only worthwhile part of this entire damage control article is him saying they may change their halftime routine. That is an example of a change he is making as coach to try and help change how we look in the 2nd halves of games. That's what I WANT from my coach, not a guy whos gonna be a sore loser and complain about his players being too slow. Be proactive and try to fix the problems as head coach instead of pouting about the physical attributes of your players and claiming you "misrecruited" them.
SJU Center Court
Active member
This is what he should have said post game.