Career Timeline of Rick Pitino: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Rick Pitino made an impact.

Rick Pitino is a prominent American basketball coach currently at St. John's University. Known for his leadership across various NCAA Division I and NBA teams, including Boston University, Providence College, the New York Knicks, Kentucky, the Boston Celtics, Louisville, Panathinaikos, and Iona University. He is also the head coach of Greece's senior national team. Pitino has achieved significant success throughout his career, marked by strategic acumen and team development.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

1974: Graduate Assistant at the University of Hawaii

In 1974, Rick Pitino began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii.

1975: Full-Time Assistant at Hawaii

In 1975, Rick Pitino became a full-time assistant at the University of Hawaii.

1976: Assistant Coach at Syracuse University

In 1976, Rick Pitino was the first assistant hired by Jim Boeheim at Syracuse University.

1978: Hired as Head Coach at Boston University

In 1978, John Simpson hired Rick Pitino as head coach, funding the Terriers men's basketball team.

1983: End of Tenure at Boston University

In 1983, Rick Pitino's tenure as the head coach of Boston University came to an end.

1985: Head Coach at Providence College

In 1985, Rick Pitino became the head coach at Providence College.

July 14, 1987: Head Coach of the New York Knicks

On July 14, 1987, Rick Pitino became head coach of the New York Knicks.

1987: Head Coach of the New York Knicks

In 1987, Rick Pitino became the head coach of the New York Knicks.

1987: NCAA adopts 3-point shot

In 1987, the NCAA adopted the 3-point shot, which Rick Pitino promoted and used to his advantage, leading to his Kentucky teams in the early 1990s being known as Pitino's Bombinos.

1988: Pitino publishes autobiography 'Born to Coach'

In 1988, Rick Pitino published his autobiography entitled "Born to Coach", describing his life up until his time with the Knicks.

Born to Coach

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May 30, 1989: Resignation from the Knicks

On May 30, 1989, Rick Pitino resigned from his position as head coach of the New York Knicks.

1989: Head Coach at the University of Kentucky

In 1989, Rick Pitino became the head coach at the University of Kentucky.

1989: Returns to College Level at Kentucky

In 1989, after coaching in the NBA, Rick Pitino became the coach at Kentucky, restoring the program's reputation and performance.

1993: Leads Kentucky to the Final Four

In 1993, Rick Pitino led Kentucky to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament.

1996: Wins National Title with Kentucky

In 1996, Rick Pitino won a national title with Kentucky in the NCAA tournament.

May 6, 1997: Hired as Head Coach by the Boston Celtics

On May 6, 1997, Rick Pitino returned to the NBA when the Boston Celtics hired him as head coach.

1997: Head Coach of the Boston Celtics

In 1997, Rick Pitino became the head coach of the Boston Celtics.

1997: Kentucky Loses in National Title Game

In 1997, Rick Pitino's Kentucky team lost to Arizona in overtime in the finals of the NCAA tournament.

1998: Leaves Kentucky for the NBA

In 1998, Rick Pitino left Kentucky for the NBA and Kentucky went on to win the national title.

January 8, 2001: Resigns from the Boston Celtics

On January 8, 2001, Rick Pitino resigned from his position as head coach of the Boston Celtics.

March 21, 2001: Coaching University of Louisville

On March 21, 2001, Rick Pitino returned to college to coach the University of Louisville.

2001: Head Coach at the University of Louisville

In 2001, Rick Pitino became the head coach at the University of Louisville.

2005: Louisville's First Final Four in 19 Years

In 2005, Rick Pitino led Louisville to their first Final Four in 19 years.

2005: Louisville team ties for most single-season wins

In 2005, Rick Pitino's Louisville team posted a tie for the most single-season wins in school history (33).

2007: Second-Place Finish in the Big East Conference

In 2007, Rick Pitino led the Cardinals to a second-place finish, 12–4 in the Big East Conference standings and a first round bye in the conference tournament.

2008: Pitino publishes 'Rebound Rules'

In 2008, Rick Pitino's book "Rebound Rules" was the top seller at the Kentucky Book Fair.

Rebound Rules: The Art of Success 2.0

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2009: Top Seed Overall in NCAA Tournament

In 2009, Louisville was the top seed overall in the NCAA tournament.

December 20, 2010: Pitino hired as head coach of Puerto Rico national team

On December 20, 2010, Rick Pitino was hired as head coach of the senior Puerto Rico national team.

April 29, 2011: Pitino will not coach Puerto Rico national team

On April 29, 2011, it was announced that Rick Pitino would not coach the Puerto Rico national team, due to scheduling conflicts and NCAA regulations disallowing it.

2012: Big East Tournament Championship

In 2012, Rick Pitino coached the Cardinals to the Big East tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

2013: Louisville wins NCAA title

In 2013, Rick Pitino led the Cardinals team to 35 total wins and the NCAA title.

2013: National Championship Win

In 2013, Rick Pitino led the Louisville Cardinals to a national championship with a win over Michigan.

2015: Pitino coaches Puerto Rican national team at FIBA Americas Championship

In 2015, Rick Pitino coached the Puerto Rican national team at the FIBA Americas Championship in Mexico City, Mexico, where they finished in 5th place.

October 3, 2017: Termination Changed to Resignation

On October 3, 2017, Rick Pitino's termination was changed to a resignation.

October 16, 2017: Original Firing Date

On October 16, 2017, Rick Pitino was originally fired from the University of Louisville.

2017: End of Tenure at the University of Louisville

In 2017, Rick Pitino's tenure as the head coach of the University of Louisville came to an end.

December 26, 2018: Pitino hired as head coach of Panathinaikos

On December 26, 2018, Rick Pitino was announced as the head coach of Panathinaikos until the end of the season, marking his debut in the EuroLeague.

2018: Coach of Panathinaikos

In 2018, Rick Pitino became the coach of Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League and EuroLeague.

2018: Pitino publishes 'Pitino: My Story'

In 2018, Rick Pitino's book "Pitino: My Story" was published, detailing his version of events regarding the Adidas sneaker scandal and his subsequent ouster as the University of Louisville men's basketball coach.

Pitino: My Story

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February 17, 2019: Panathinaikos wins Greek Cup

On February 17, 2019, Panathinaikos, coached by Rick Pitino, won the 2018–19 Greek Cup against PAOK in the final.

November 8, 2019: Pitino hired as head coach of Greece's senior national team

On November 8, 2019, Rick Pitino was hired as head coach of Greece's senior national team to coach at the 2020 FIBA Victoria Olympic qualifying tournament and the 2020 Summer Olympics if Greece qualified. Thanasis Skourtopoulos would coach for the 2021 EuroBasket qualification tournament.

November 26, 2019: Pitino rehired as head coach of Panathinaikos

On November 26, 2019, Rick Pitino was rehired by Panathinaikos as the team's head coach on a two-year deal after the firing of Argyris Pedoulakis.

March 14, 2020: Pitino named head coach of Iona College

On March 14, 2020, Rick Pitino was named head coach of Iona College after Tim Cluess stepped down due to health issues.

March 2020: Pitino leaves Panathinaikos

In March 2020, Rick Pitino left Panathinaikos after the 2019–20 EuroLeague season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Panathinaikos in sixth place.

2020: Iona College reaches NCAA tournament

In 2020, Rick Pitino coached Iona College to a 6-3 conference record and led them to the NCAA tournament after four upsets in the MAAC tournament, making Pitino the third coach to lead five different programs to the NCAA tournament.

2020: Pitino to coach Greece's national team

In 2020, Rick Pitino was slated to coach Greece's national team at the FIBA Victoria Olympic qualifying tournament and the Summer Olympics, had Greece qualified.