The talks between Heird and Pitino started over the weekend, and a 90-minute zoom call took place last night. Meaning at a minimum, the two sides have talked twice since Sunday. I said in the last update thread that the Richard Pitino buzz was legitimate, and that has obviously been confirmed by everyone throughout the day.
My understanding with Indiana State's Josh Schertz is that hiring him would require a one-time fee of $4M to be paid by UofL if they wanted him in the next 72 hours, due to something he signed. Ultimately who shoulders this blame? I don't know, but I certainly am not paying $4M for a guy with no NCAAT wins.
If you follow me on Twitter/X, you know my feelings about the potential of Richard Pitino. But I will reiterate it here. Is Richard my first choice? No. Does he check every box? No. But, would I take Richard over the other guys who are being mentioned as finalists? F*** yes. He gets this city. He understands this job. He will work his ever loving his ass off. Fit matters, a LOT.
Whether you want to admit or not, NIL has changed everything. A coach's ability to raise funds is a major part of this job. There would be a MAJOR influx of additional resources if Richard is hired.
I have no idea which way Josh Heird is leaning, but if this drags on any longer, I'm going to start to be critical of the way this search has been handled, if I'm not there already.
