Issues simply hold going up for the Pitinos.
Following New Mexico’s upset victory over Marquette, the Pitinos turned the primary father-son duo to every win an NCAA Event sport in the identical 12 months.
The No. 10 Lobos, with Richard Pitino on the helm, beat the No. 7 Golden Eagles, 75-66, on Friday, shifting on to the second spherical of March Insanity.
New Mexico’s victory comes simply someday after Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad bested Omaha in a comeback win.
Richard has adopted his father’s footsteps in relation to teaching faculty basketball, being a member of varied teaching staffs over the previous twenty years.
Previous to taking up at New Mexico in 2021, Richard served as head coach on the College of Minnesota for eight seasons, main the crew to 2 NCAA Event appearances and a NIT Championship in 2013.
Regardless of there being numerous profitable father-son teaching duos all through NCAA historical past, none have led their respective groups to match wins in the identical season.
As well as, the Pitino household is at present the one father-son duo teaching within the NCAA.
The Lobos are set to face off towards No. 2-seed Michigan State on Sunday, and St. John’s can be clashing towards Arkansas, led by John Calipari, on Saturday.
The elder Pitino is a longtime teaching rival of Calipari, with the 2 battling it out on a number of events throughout March Insanity.
Calipari bested Rick throughout their final NCAA Event matchup when Kentucky emerged victorious over Louisville within the 2014 Candy 16.
“I certainly have great respect for him, but we’re not really close,” Rick advised The Publish. “It was only a Kentucky-Louisville and Louisville-Memphis factor. We don’t know one another’s wives or youngsters.
“We’re not really close friends. … At a very young age I knew him well when he was in Coraopolis [Pa.] playing in Moon Township. … I don’t think we have been to dinner one time in our lifetime. We’re both Italian, we both love the game.”
