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Guest Column: Louisville's Pitino needs to win

September 08, 2009|By HALEY RALSTON

It won't come as shock to some of you that I am a Louisville fan. I have admitted it before and despite the recent negativity surrounding the University of Louisville and its basketball coach I stick by my team. I am not a fair-weather fan.

For the last several weeks I have sat idly by and listened to and read all of the negative talk about Rick Pitino and the University of Louisville. I have read the rubbish, listened to the gossip and held my tongue while trying to formulate my own unbiased opinions about the situation. I have even had heated debates with my friend and colleague Larry Vaught about the situation. I guess we can agree to disagree. And we certainly do.

When the news broke about Pitino admitting his transgressions, the media had a field day. The story was plastered on the front cover of every major newspaper and it was the lead story on many of the local and national news channels. I guess news must have been slow that day.

The articles implied that Pitino had disgraced the University of Louisville and that his reputation would forever be tarnished. I disagree. Forever is along time.

Somehow I think that if Pitino wins a national championship this year that "forever" would not last long. My point is this — all good coaches know that as long as you are winning you are fine. It's when you start losing that you have the problems. Just ask Billy Gillispie.

When the Billy G. era of UK basketball started to crumble I was asked numerous times if I thought he should be fired and my answer was yes. It had nothing to do with his "reputation" off the court and the alleged shenanigans he pulled around Lexington. In my opinion, he was simply not a good basketball coach. Gardner Webb and VMI? Enough said. Cut your losses and move on and that is exactly what the University of Kentucky did.

So should Louisville do the same? Should it cut ties with Pitino and move on? Maybe. Maybe not.

While I do not condone his behavior or how he has handled the situation, I still believe he is a good coach. He knows the game of basketball and he knows what it takes to win. He has proven that at UK and at Louisville.

All I know for sure is that he better have a winning season this year because there is a whole lot more than a record at stake. If Pitino loses it will be a lot easier for the University of Louisville to cut ties with him. Again, just ask Billy G.

The funny thing is that I bet John Calipari knows exactly how Rick Pitino feels, and if he doesn't produce this year he may eventually know how Billy Gillispie feels. So much pressure and so much at stake. But that's another story for another day.

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