Rick Pitino hints he would leave Iona for a big-time job

It’s almost March, which means it’s time to talk about whether or not Rick Pitino will leave Iona for a bigger job. Usually, that means rolling our eyes at quotes from Pitino about how he’s 100% happy in New Rochelle and would never dream of leaving — and oh yeah, shame on Louisville for putting Tom Jurich through what they did. Tom Jurich is a saint.

Today, however, we got as close to a kernel of truth as we’ll ever get from Rick. In an interview with Matt Norlander, Pitino admitted that while he’s happy at Iona — get it, he’s HAPPY!!! — he would consider leaving for a bigger job, one where he could make a Final Four.

“We’ve accomplished what we set out to do,” Pitino said. “If I wanted to leave, it would be a job that I thought could get to a Final Four. It would be a great place where I want to live, but I don’t see it happening. I don’t see it happening. I’m really tied into these kids. And they came because of me.”

Just before the 2022-23 season began, Pitino was cleared of any violations in Louisville’s NCAA college hoops bribery case by the Independent Review Panel of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Now age 70 with a clear name, Pitino told Norlander he feels revitalized.

“I want to coach five or six more years,” he said. “I still exercise like a demon. I still get after it.”

Let’s pause to watch Pitino on the elliptical, getting after it.

Just your average Thursday night workout with Rick Pitino doin work on your elliptical 😂 #marchmadness @barstoolsports pic.twitter.com/L1ICCpqDlR

— Lauren (@BROhut) March 16, 2017

Okay, back to the quote.

“And as long as you do that, your mind is sharp, I’m still more passionate about it today than I’ve ever been in my life. And again, it’s because I know my window’s closing. I want to do something special, whether it’s at Iona or it doesn’t matter. I want to do something special, and I think we are doing something special.”

In Pitino-speak, that might as well be an “Open for business” sign to all interested parties this offseason.