Rick Pitino responds to report linking him to Maryland job

Rick Pitino has shot down a report linking him to the Maryland head coaching job.

On Wednesday, radio station 106.7 The Fan in the Washington, D.C. area, reported that Pitino was the “top dog” among candidates to be the next head coach of Terrapins basketball.

Pitino, currently the head coach at Iona, responded to the report Thursday morning on Twitter. Pitino shared high praise for the school and the program, but ended a tweet saying, “It will not be me.”

The University of Maryland is one of the premier institutions of higher learning. It’s basketball program can be among the nation’s best. I hope they find the next great Gary Williams. I love coaching at Iona, and I’m totally committed to my players. It will not be me.

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 3, 2022

Pitino, 69, is best known as a college coach at Providence, Kentucky and Louisville as well as the NBA’s New York Knicks and Boston Celtics. After his Louisville dismissal, he coached Panathinaikos, a Greek team in the EuroLeague. In 2020, Pitino returned to the NCAA, taking the Iona job.

Mark Turgeon stepped down as Maryland’s head coach in December 2021. We’ll see where the Terps turn next in their search for a new head coach.