Louisville head coach Rick Pitino announced today that he would like to begin playing a three year home and home series with Minnesota. The reason for this is because Minnesota’s head coach is his son Richard Pitino. Rick hopes that both conferences will pair the programs up in the Big Ten - ACC Challenge with the game in Minneapolis.
Pitino then said that he would hope for a true home-and-home series starting in the 2016-2017 season. Louisville and Minnesota did play this season in the first game of the season. They participated in the Armed Forces Classic where the Cardinals came out with the 12-point victory behind Montrezl Harrell’s 30 points.
“Helps his program,” Rick Pitino said. “Only time in my life that if we lose, I will smile inside.”
Rick Pitino also defeated his son’s team in 2013 when Louisville defeated Florida International. Richard Pitino would love to get a victory against his Hall of Fame father. Richard was also an assistant on Louisville until he coached the Golden Panthers of Florida International.
This would be great for both programs if the NCAA was capable of getting this deal done. It’s a great father and son rivalry that is now between two great collegiate programs.