A look back at the biggest scandals from Rick Pitino's controversial career
Bob Leverone/AP
The recruiting scandal at the University of Louisville may be the biggest story in college sports right now, but this isn't the first time men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino has been in hot water.
For over four decades, the 1987 NABC Coach of the Year has been one of the most highly regarded coaches in the game, assembling championship-caliber squads in multiple conferences and across multiple eras. But he's also demonstrated a tendency to find himself on the wrong side of the NCAA's investigative arm.
Below, check out the greatest and most scandalous moments from one of college basketball's most controversial careers.
Rick Pitino was a standout high school point guard from Long Island when he committed to the University of Massachusetts in 1970. With 329 career assists, he still ranks as one of the top passers in program history.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/290893210501386240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Para festejar el número 1 de Louisville,os pongo esta foto del gran Rick Pitino (época de jugador en Massachusetts) pic.twitter.com/zMEtw1zO
Soon after his graduation in 1974, Pitino started as an assistant coach at the University of Hawaii. A 1977 NCAA report linked him to eight different violations, including paying for round-trip airfare for one of his players and distributing McDonald's coupons to the team.
https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/710921880350420993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Hawaii assistant coach Rick Pitino (standing far right) in 1975 (H/T @rodger_sherman) pic.twitter.com/1Lvdc6TLId
Source: The New York Times
While Hawaii was placed on two years' probation, Pitino later denied his role in the violations. "I didn't make any mistakes," he said of his time in Honolulu. "I don't care what anybody says."
Charles Krupa/AP
Source: The New York Times
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