Rick Pitino told the Kentucky crowd Friday night that new coach Mark Pope will carry Kentucky -- which suffered two first-round exits in the last three NCAA tournaments -- to 'greatness.'
Rick Pitino receives a rapturous reception in Kentucky before thanking the fans and giving a passionate endorsement of coach Mark Pope. to the 1996 national championship, Pitino walked onto the floor at Rupp Arena and was cheered loudly by fans there during Kentucky's Big Blue Madness event., wore a Kentucky sweater in his return to campus.
Prior to Friday's reunion, it was a tumultuous journey for Pitino with the Kentucky fanbase. In 1997, he received a record 10-year, $70 million deal to coach thea year after his national title run at Kentucky. But after a turbulent tenure in the NBA, Pitino resigned as Celtics coach and agreed to accept the job at Kentucky's in-state rival Louisville in 2001, following Denny Crum's departure.
Rick Pitino called his return to Rupp Arena on Friday night"one of the best nights I've had in a long time." In 2012, ahead of Louisville's matchup against Kentucky in the Final Four, Pitino called the rivalry"pure hatred." And following a loss to the Wildcats at Rupp Arena in 2015, he was accused of using an obscene gesture toward the crowd. Pitino denied those claims, despite video that suggested otherwise.
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