Dick Vitale gives health update, reveals special gesture from SEC coach

On Monday, legendary broadcaster Dick Vitale revealed that he would miss the remainder of the 2021-22 college basketball season to undergo surgery for Dysplasia and ulcerated lesions of the vocal cords. And as he continues the process of recovering from treatment Vitale gave a brief update and sent a thank you out to all those who have reached out to him during his tough time.

“In my battle with Melanoma , Lymphoma & my vocal cords I have rec’d fantastic (prayers and heart emoji) from many on social media,texts,etc but I’m going to share what @RickBarnesUT has done.Rick has sent me a PERSONAL (prayer emoji) everyday. His KINDNESS brings tears to my eyes when I read his daily text,” wrote Vitale, via Twitter

The man who has been the voice of college basketball at ESPN for over 43 years missed the early part of the season while undergoing treatment for Lymphoma and Melanoma. But in the middle of November., he was cleared to call games going forward before his health hit another roadblock in January with the Dysplasia diagnosis announcement. Vitale will be on the mend for a while but is expected to be back for the 2022 – 23 college basketball season. And for the 82-year-old to have a friend like Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes sending him best wishes and prayers on the daily, it’s truly a beautiful thing.

Vitale’s pick for Louisville head coaching job

As Louisville looks for its next head basketball coach, everyone seems to have an opinion on the best candidates on the market. After Friday’s contract extension for Bruce Pearl, a handful of SEC head coaches remain on the shortlist while some call for a controversial return of school legend Rick Pitino.

ESPN college basketball commentator Dick Vitale offered his thoughts, calling for Louisville to hire Kenny Payne in its head coaching search.

“Come on Louisville, don’t waste time,” Vitale posted on Twitter. “Bring Kenny Payne where he belongs. They tell me at Churchill Downs he is 10 lengths ahead. But the big (question), can the administration get the deal done? Recruiting would go up big time. 5-star talents will arrive!”

Louisville could search through the NBA for their next head coach, with current New York Knicks assistant coach Kenny Payne on the radar. However, he has plenty of experience in college basketball, working under John Calipari with the Kentucky Wildcats for 10 seasons.

His strong ties to the area and experience recruiting the country’s top talent make him a prime candidate along with a handful of others in this hiring process.