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The "Battle of the Pitinos" might not be just a one year thing.
According to ESPN's Jeff Goodman, Louisville and Minnesota are close to finalizing a deal for a home and home series that would allow the teams coached by Rick and his son Richard to square off once a year.
Louisville and Minnesota are working on finalizing a home and home series starting next year at Louisville. Pitino bragging rights.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) July 23, 2014
I'm assuming "next year" is 2015-16, since the Cards and Gophers are already scheduled to open the 2014-15 season against one another in Puerto Rico on Nov. 14.
Louisville struck a similar deal with Florida International that kind of backfired when Richard landed the Minnesota gig after a wildly successful debut season with the Panthers. The result was the Cards traveling to Miami and laying an 85-56 beatdown on a Pitino-less FIU squad last December. It's safe to say that the odds of Richard sticking in Minneapolis for more than a few seasons are much better.
The pair of Pitinos have squared off once as head coaches before, when Louisville trounced FIU 79-55 in the 2012 Billy Minardi Classic. It was the first time a Division-I father/son head coaching duo had faced one another in 17 years.
