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Richard Pitino Can't Resist the Call to Lead Xavier

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 Cincinnati — Richard Pitino mentioned that he would only depart when the appropriate opportunity presented itself.
 New Mexico
 .


 He ultimately found one in an unexpected place.


 Pitino was introduced as
 Xavier
 On Tuesday, he was introduced as the new coach. Given Xavier’s tendency to hire coaches who were either previous assistants or had connections to the program, Pitino believed his likelihood of receiving a call from athletic director Greg Christopher was minimal until it occurred last week.


 "Things tend to unfold this way. You might have expectations about certain job opportunities coming your way. Then unexpectedly, an offer appears that seems incredible. That’s what happened with Xavier," Pitino stated at a press briefing.


 Since Thad Matta joined in 2000, this marks the first time Xavier has appointed a head coach with no prior connection to the team. After Sean Miller departed to take up the position at Texas on March 17, he had been elevated to his role in 2004 following Matta’s move to Ohio State. Over five years, Miller guided the program until moving to Arizona; however, he returned for another three-year stint starting in 2022.


 Chris Mack and Travis Steele were likewise previous assistants. Interestingly, shortly after Mack declared his intention to stay at the College of Charleston, Pitino was swiftly brought onboard.


 Pitino mentioned that his father, Rick Pitino who coaches for St. John's, urged him to remain at New Mexico until Xavier became an option, suggesting he should stay even if it entailed competing against each other twice annually within the same conference.


 Richard Pitino stated, “He observed how the community welcomed me in Albuquerque, our significant success, and noticed my happiness. After Xavier contacted him, his perspective shifted,” he explained. “I believe the compatibility here is excellent. This kind of environment truly resonates with me, making me feel at ease. Let me assure you; nobody was more supportive of choosing Xavier over anyone else than my father.”


 Pitino comes back to the Big East — having been a student at Providence College and an assistant at Louisville during his earlier tenure — following a four-year stint at New Mexico, where he guided the Lobos to consecutive NCAA tournament berths. This year, under his leadership, New Mexico finished with a record of 27-8 but were defeated by Michigan State 71-63 in the second round of the tournament.


 The 42-year-old Pitino earned Mountain West Coach of the Year honors this season following the Lobos' victory in securing the conference's regular-season championship. During his time at New Mexico, he achieved a record of 88 wins against 49 losses and boasts an overall coaching record of 247 wins to 186 losses.


 Christopher said the reason Pitino stood out as a candidate was how he rebounded at New Mexico after being fired at Minnesota. Pitino became a head coach in the Big Ten at age 30. He led the Golden Gophers for eight seasons -- including an NIT championship in his first season in 2014-15 as well as two trips to the NCAA tournament -- but was fired after two straight losing campaigns.


 "It's very clear he's hungry and incredibly competitive. Some of what fuels that drive is how he's been humbled. That was an important factor to me," Christopher said of Pitino. "How you handle adversity is really telling and we all face challenges. Handled the right way, adversity makes you better. And that is what's happened with Richard."


 Pitino is looking to bring the same aggressive style on both sides of the court that he had at New Mexico. It's also not much different from what Miller ran as both coaches like to run.


 On offense, the Lobos averaged 81.1 points, which led the Mountain West and was 26th in Division I. They averaged 16.2 fast-break points, third best in Division I.


 Defensively, New Mexico forced 15.2 turnovers per game, 14th in Division I.


 "It's not real hard to sell a vision of we don't want to run a bunch of set plays and walk the ball up the court. Not as many set plays, and honestly, it's similar to what they ran with coach Miller ran here in the past. We talked a lot about it," Pitino said. "It's hard, but it's a fun way to play."


 Pitino's first task will be rebuilding Xavier's roster, which has only two scholarship players remaining after Miller's departure and the opening of the transfer portal. Pitino is bringing most of his staff from New Mexico.


 "It's very challenging to build a whole roster. It's way more doable now in the current landscape than ever before, but we're going to be patient," he said.

Richard Pitino Can't Resist the Call to Lead Xavier

Unknown coaching, college basketball, news, recruiters, recruiting

Cincinnati — Richard Pitino mentioned that he would only depart when the appropriate opportunity presented itself. New Mexico . He ultimately found one in an unexpected place. Pitino was introdu…

Northwestern Men’s Basketball: Kris Korver Steps Down After 25 Years; Colton Kooima Named New Head Coach

Unknown basketball, basketball players, coaching, news, sports

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 ORANGE CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — After 25 seasons leading the Northwestern men’s basketball team, Coach Kris Korver has decided to step down. The leadership of the program will now transition to Colton Kooima and Ben Miller.


 During his time as the head coach of the Red Raiders, Korver amassed 574 victories, including two NAIA Division II national championships and 19 appearances in the NAIA Tournament. This alumnus from the class of 1992 at Northwestern led the team to six GPAC Tournament titles.


 Colton Kooima has been appointed as the ninth head coach of the men’s basketball team at Northwestern University. He returns to his roots in Orange City following his role as the head assistant coach at Augustana College. During his playing days, he was named to the NAIA First Team twice and amassed an impressive total of 2,441 career points with the Red Raiders, placing him third on their all-time scoring list.


 Ben Miller has transitioned into the role of associate head coach. He was inducted into the Northwestern Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 after concluding his playing days in Orange City, where he earned three NAIA All-American recognitions and received the 2013 GPAC Player of the Year accolade.


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Northwestern Men’s Basketball: Kris Korver Steps Down After 25 Years; Colton Kooima Named New Head Coach

Unknown basketball, basketball players, coaching, news, sports

ORANGE CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — After 25 seasons leading the Northwestern men’s basketball team, Coach Kris Korver has decided to step down. The leadership of the program will now transition to Colton Ko…

Andy Farrell's Shock Lions Selection: England Coach Joins Ireland-Heavy Backroom Team Amid Leak Controversy

Unknown coaching, rugby, sports coaching

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 Andy Farrell, the head coach of the British & Irish Lions, is set to reveal his coaching staff for this summer’s tour in Australia. The official announcement will be made on Wednesday morning.
 


 Simon Easterby, who currently serves as the acting head coach for Ireland, is expected to be officially appointed as the defense coach for the top-tier squad. In this setup, John Fogarty will assume the position of scrum coach, while Englishman Richard Wigglesworth will join the team along with the rest of the Irish staff.


 Easterby
 Filled in the gap created by Farrell, who took a sabbatical year with the Lions, guiding
 Ireland
 securing a third-place result in the Six Nations Championship.

<h2>
 Ireland-heavy backroom team
</h2>

 Following an underwhelming season, he will transition into the Lions' coaching staff alongside his previous position as an assistant.
 British & Irish Lion
 Paul O'Connell, the Ireland international, will step in as the temporary head coach for the country's summer fixtures against Georgia and Portugal.


 Even though Ireland didn’t perform well in the Six Nations, you can’t dispute that this coaching team hasn’t had success at the Test level, having won the Grand Slam in 2023 and achieving the top spot globally.


 Easterby has been included as part of
 Farrell
 Since 2019, he has been part of Ireland's coaching staff, transitioning from a forward coach to a defensive coach in 2021. Together, they have guided the team through some of their most impressive displays.


 Furthermore, he boasts British & Irish Lions tour experience from his time as a player during the 2005 trip to New Zealand. He joined the squad to replace Lawrence Dallaglio and participated in two Test matches, crossing the try line in the second game held in Wellington.


 
 Team of the Round Champions: David Campese Supports George Ford for Lions Selection Following 'Utterly Breathtaking' Display
 


 Prior to his time as the Irish scrum coach, Fogarty served in the same capacity for Leinster starting in 2015. Additionally, Easterby secured one appearance for Ireland in 2010 and represented his country wearing the green jersey during a match against the All Blacks.


 Last week, when questioned regarding Easterby and Fogarty’s involvement in the coaching staff, the IRFU was requested for their input, but a representative responded saying: "Currently, we do not have any comments to provide."


 But
 The Irish Times
 It has been reported that both will be officially confirmed at Farrell’s press conference in London on Wednesday morning.

<h2>
 Wigglesworth to be named
</h2>

 BBC Sport
 have reported that
 England
 head coach Steve Borthwick was approached regarding the availability of
 Wigglesworth
 And appears to have endorsed the proposal, with his most recent role being added to his quickly expanding resume after retiring from the Leicester Tigers in 2022.


 Before his reported inclusion, Ireland appeared to set the tone for the 2025 tour, starting with the match against Argentina in Dublin on June 20. The other home nations might hope this isn’t just another Irish affair when the Lions squad is unveiled at London’s O2 Arena on May 8, with space for up to 2000 spectators.


 The squad will then travel down under to Australia where they will play nine fixtures including three blockbuster Test matches against the Wallabies in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.


 
 READ MORE:
 British and Irish Lions victors and casualties: Finn Russell aims to 'stamp his mark' on the starting lineup as English players struggle

Andy Farrell's Shock Lions Selection: England Coach Joins Ireland-Heavy Backroom Team Amid Leak Controversy

Unknown coaching, rugby, sports coaching

Andy Farrell, the head coach of the British & Irish Lions, is set to reveal his coaching staff for this summer’s tour in Australia. The official announcement will be made on Wednesday morning. …

Smoke surrounds Illinois Basketball coach Brad Underwood and major college basketball program

Unknown basketball, coaching, college sports, news, sports

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 There is some smoke surrounding
 Illinois basketball
 head coach Brad Underwood and a major college basketball program. Underwood and the Illini suffered a heartbreaking 84-75 loss to Kentucky in the Round of 32 on Sunday at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.


 Many Illinois
 fans were upset with Underwood
 and freshman Kasparas Jakucionis after the loss.


 Following the game, Underwood made it sound like Illinois was the place he wanted to stay.

<h2>
 Illinois basketball is a consistent NCAA Tournament team
</h2>

 “I came here to win a national championship, okay,” Underwood said via video posted on X by Glenn Kinley
 WCIA 3.
 “And I think the one thing that will never change with me is that, okay, we’re trying to do that but to do that, you have to have a great program… “We’ve got six straight NCAA tournaments. To me, that’s about building a program of consistency, of culture…


 “And are we disappointed? Absolutely, because my goal is nothing more than win a championship. If you hear me ever say anything other than that, then it’s probably time for me to hang it up. But our program is in great shape. We’ve got great leadership, we’ve got great facilities.


 “We’ve got the ability to keep getting players. We sell out every night. We got the best fan base out there. And, you know, we came out short today, but we’ll be back. We’re not going anywhere.”

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<h2>
 Smoke surrounds Brad Underwood and Texas basketball
</h2>
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 There is some smoke around the idea of Underwood going somewhere south. On Sunday, Texas officially
 fired Rodney Terry
 after the Longhorns’ loss in the First Four.


 Per Kirk Bohls of the
 Houston Chronicle
 , Texas
 considered
 Underwood, but the idea didn’t go anywhere, at least before Illinois’ game against Kentucky.


 “Texas still talking to Sean Miller’s people about the basketball job but nothing’s done,” Bohls posted on X. “(Texas AD) Chris Del Conte leaves ‘no stone unturned,’ source tells Houston Chronicle, even considered St. John’s Rick Pitino, Illinois’ Brad Underwood and Alabama’s Nate Oats, those didn’t go anywhere.”

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 The situation with Texas is fluid, and the program, which is flush with cash to poach elite coaches, could change Underwood’s mind this week.

<h2>
 Underwood to Texas “makes too much sense”
</h2>
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 On Sunday,
 The Athletic
 named Underwood as a
 likely candidate
 for the Longhorns.


 “Brad Underwood, head coach, Illinois: This makes too much sense to ignore,” Brendan Quinn wrote
 . “
 The 61-year-old first made a name for himself at Stephen F. Austin, going 89-14 with three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, before moving from Nacogdoches to Oklahoma State to Illinois. There have long been rumors of mutual interest between Texas and Underwood, or at least curiosities.


 “Fact is, here’s what Underwood would do at UT: Get dudes and win games. Taking Illinois to the Elite Eight last year finally cleared Underwood’s résumé of a bad rap for early March losses. Now he’s back in the tournament for the fifth straight year, this time with a No. 6 seed.”


 If Texas can’t close the deal with Sean Miller, Underwood’s name could pop up more in the Longhorns’ coaching search this week.


 
 Want more articles like this? Follow on MSN to see more of our exclusive college basketball content.
 


 
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Smoke surrounds Illinois Basketball coach Brad Underwood and major college basketball program

Unknown basketball, coaching, college sports, news, sports

There is some smoke surrounding Illinois basketball head coach Brad Underwood and a major college basketball program. Underwood and the Illini suffered a heartbreaking 84-75 loss to Kentucky in th…

Tucker Takes the Reins as Connacht's New Leader With Wilkins Out Sick

Unknown business, coaching, news, rugby, sports

The Connacht scrum and contact skills coach Colm Tucker has taken over as interim leader of the provincial team, while head coach Pete Wilkins is reportedly on medical leave.


 Wilkins, who became the Connacht head coach in 2023, was absent from his team's URC loss at the Ospreys on Saturday after recently being granted medical leave.


 It is still uncertain if Wilkins will come back for Connacht’s match against Munster in Castlebar this weekend.


 Wilkins' agreement as head coach extends until the summer of 2026, and it is anticipated that he will resume his role after this leave period concludes.


 Tucker, who specializes in Scrum, was rumored to potentially join Munster for the upcoming season. However, he recently put an end to those speculations by announcing his decision to remain with Connacht.

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 This summer, Australian attack specialist Rod Seib is set to join the Connacht coaching team from the Brumbies as their new senior assistant coach. In connection with this move, current attack coach Mark Sexton will be transitioning to Ulster.


 At the conclusion of this season, current defense coach Scott Fardy will leave the position, and Wilkins is anticipated to assume greater responsibility for that aspect of the team’s strategy. Meanwhile, forwards coach John Muldoon will continue in his role.


 The match against Munster scheduled for Saturday at MacHale Park in Castlebar, County Mayo, is turning out to be crucial for Connacht, particularly considering the exciting factor of the new location and its fully booked attendance exceeding 25,000 spectators.


 The westerners had a
 frustrating experience
 versus the Ospreys last weekend when their dazzling offense racked up 40 points yet their defensive errors led to conceding 43.

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 Certainly not the worst result for Connacht despite their loss, but they aim to put forth a stronger showing overall when Munster comes to Mayo next time.


 It’s anticipated that Connacht will bring back their international players—captain Cian Prendergast, Bundee Aki, Mack Hansen, and Finlay Bealham—for this highly awaited provincial clash.


 Connacht's loss to the Ospreys causes them to slip from ninth to twelfth place in the URC standings, yet they are only two match points away from securing a spot in the playoffs, keeping their chances very much alive.


 They have a home Round of 16 tie in the Challenge Cup against Cardiff to come after the Munster clash, before their two-game URC tour of South Africa to face the Stormers and the Lions.


 Even as they aim for advancement in the Challenge Cup, particularly since they're assured of home-field advantage all the way through to the semi-finals, Connacht’s final fixtures in the URC regular season include a match at home against Edinburgh followed by a trip to face Zebre.


 Throughout the season, Connacht has been formidable in offense, scoring 48 tries which places them just after Leinster, Glasgow, and Munster in that category.


 Nevertheless, Connacht have allowed opponents to score 44 tries and maintain an aggregate point differential of -22 across their 13 matches, with victories coming in just five of those encounters.


 Given everything considered, they aim to put forth their best performance of the season this weekend when facing Munster.

Tucker Takes the Reins as Connacht's New Leader With Wilkins Out Sick

Unknown business, coaching, news, rugby, sports

The Connacht scrum and contact skills coach Colm Tucker has taken over as interim leader of the provincial team, while head coach Pete Wilkins is reportedly on medical leave. Wilkins, who became th…

Ex-All Blacks Coach Praises Jordie Barrett: 'Huge Influence' Shaping Ireland's Success

Unknown athletes, coaching, rugby, soccer, sports

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 Former All Blacks coach John Plumtree has hailed the talents of Jordie Barrett following his fine displays for Leinster this season.
 


 The New Zealand star is currently on a short-term deal with the Irish province and featured in their narrow defeat to the Bulls last Saturday.


 Barrett
 has impressed since moving to Dublin and provided much-needed experience and quality in an understrength
 Leinster
 outfit against the Pretoria outfit.

<h2>
 Springbok v All Black
</h2>

 The centre was set to go head-to-head with Andre Esterhuizen this weekend after the
 Springboks
 powerhouse was selected at 12 for the Sharks, but the visitors have decided to rest the New Zealander.


 It was shaping up to be a mouth-watering subplot to the game, but Leinster are focusing on their Investec Champions Cup tie with Harlequins next weekend.


 Springboks lock RG Snyman is another big name to sit out this encounter as they will both play a key role in the Champions Cup round-of-16 contest in Dublin.


 That didn’t stop Plumtree, who knows Barrett well having worked with him at both the Hurricanes and
 All Blacks
 , from praising the All Blacks star.


 “I was chatting to Jason Holland (current All Blacks coach) this morning, and we were talking about just how good Jordie is,” he told reporters.


 “I thought he was huge against the Bulls. He has softer touches to his game, the ability to put players around him into space that few other players do.


 But he possesses remarkable physical strength and power. It’s clear to me just how fiercely competitive he is. In terms of collisions, he dominates completely, and his level of effort is extraordinary.


 
 “We don’t recruit New Zealanders” – Jake White debunks the weakened Leinster theory.
 


 Esterhuizen and Barrett previously clashed heads during a Rugby World Cup preparatory match between the Springboks and the All Blacks in August 2023, but their next encounter has been delayed somewhat.


 It's unfortunate for the game, but Leinster's stance is understandable as they've already secured a solid footing in the URE.


 They have the luxury of giving their key players some rest for this match, knowing confidently that nobody will surpass them atop the URC standings this weekend.

<h2>
 Barrett ‘immense’
</h2>

 "His performance in the midfield last week was outstanding; he had a significant impact, and his effort level was remarkable. Despite the unexpectedly high temperatures in Pretoria, the amount of ground he covered was incredible," Plumtree noted additionally.


 The head coach of the Sharks might be pleased that the All Black isn’t participating this weekend and even made a joke suggesting he should return to Ireland along with many top Six Nations players who haven’t made the trip.


 “Jordie is a massive player for Leinster and a big threat. I wouldn’t mind if Jordie had gone back to Ireland actually,” he quipped.


 And as it happens, Plumtree, who was speaking ahead of Leinster’s team announcement, very much got his wish.


 
 READ MORE:
 All Blacks legend Ma’a Nonu set to make history at the age of 42 as French giants decide to take ‘risk’ in Top 14 clash

Ex-All Blacks Coach Praises Jordie Barrett: 'Huge Influence' Shaping Ireland's Success

Unknown athletes, coaching, rugby, soccer, sports

Former All Blacks coach John Plumtree has hailed the talents of Jordie Barrett following his fine displays for Leinster this season. The New Zealand star is currently on a short-term deal with…