Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino announced Tuesday, that he will no longer be coaching at the University of Louisville once his contract ends in 2017.
"When you're 59, you're realistic that you don't have a whole lot of years left," Pitino said at a news conference before the No. 4 Cardinals play No. 12 Georgetown on Wednesday. "My contract's going to run out in 2017. I'm not coaching any more after that."
Interestingly enough, Pitino never did use the word "retire" in the press conference. He simply said that he is not coaching any more at the University of Louisville once his contract ends. However, Pitino has said on numerous occasions that Louisville would be the last stop in his coaching career.
Personally, I don't see him going anywhere else either. He will be nearly 65 when his contact ends and has produced a great resume, making him a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. Although it's pure speculation at this point, I could also see him joining ESPN as analyst, as he has been featured many times and as we all know, he doesn't shy away from the spotlight.
Rick Pitino is the only coach to take three different teams to a Final Four. He has produced a sparkling 253-96 record in his 11th season with the Cardinals. He is among the 600 career wins club in College basketball, despite going to the NBA for two years.
Pitino received a contract extension in August and will make $3 million until the end of the 2013 season, then will make $3.9 million every year following that.
The Louisville Cardinals will take on Georgetown Wednesday before visiting arch-rival Kentucky Saturday.
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Photos Courtesy of Associated Press
