If you missed it during the show, here are Rick Pitino's comments regarding the story linking his name to the UNLV job on today's Ramsey & Rutherford show. I'll post the complete transcript later.
On the UNLV rumors
In the last 15 years, I've had three job offers: one was a general manager's job, another was a would I be interested in talking to them as a candidate in the pros, the other was television. In all three instances I said, "no I'm not interested, I don't want to waste your time."
So I spoke to the people and never went to Tom. The first person who I'm going to contact, besides my wife, is Tom Jurich if there's any interest in any job for me. In 15 years there hasn't been any interest. So why should I step up and refute any rumors or anything at all? Well, because they say "we're going through some tough times, difficult times, so you might want to," but I'm not going to do that, because the University of Louisville has been very loyal to me, and I have been very loyal to them.
This is a top five job in the nation. It is monetarily, it is tradition, it is facilities, it is league -- it is a top five job. So when I leave some day, whatever coach they want, they're going to get. I don't have to answer to anything right now except Florida State. I don't want to have to, in mid-January, answer those questions and refute it. I'm at the University of Louisville -- and that's not putting down any other program that may open -- this is the University of Louisville. A coach should not have to, in January, answer to anything at all because he's focused in on Florida State.
What would Bill Belichick say if you asked him two weeks ago if he was interested in going back to the Giants?
He'd say he's focused on the next game
Yeah, let's talk about the next game. And that's what I did. So I'm not going to talk about any other jobs, because for the last 15 years my focus has been on the University of Louisville. My focus is on the next possession coming down the court, and that's the way I live.
It's not about answering "is it true/isn't it true?" If I reach out to somebody, the first person I'm going to reach out to is Tom Jurich. That's what's going to happen. I have not done that in 15 years. So when you're here at one of the top five programs for 15 years, you shouldn't have to make any answers.
I don't enjoy, like John said to me "it's a compliment." It's not a compliment, it's a distraction. Distractions in mid-January are hurtful to a team. Do you know how many text messages and how many phone calls I have to make to my recruits that I'm recruiting and spend going out two, three nights a week -- I've now got to answer to every one of them. So I'm not gonna -- let's drop it, let's put it behind us.
Moving forward, if something happens where I'm going to leave, the first person who's going to know is my wife, the second person who's going to know is Tom Jurich.
Those rumors about other jobs are always going to continue though
No, it really hasn't continued, John. It hasn't happened that much in 15 years. It really hasn't. It's been away from me. It's happened much more often up the street with John Calipari with the pros and so on. It hasn't happened to me, and that's a very good thing. I can focus in on my job right now and just pay attention to that.
We've got to get through some problems here at the University of Louisville, and I'm hoping I'm the person to lead us through those problems.