Former Boston Celtics coach does not want Knicks job: ‘Absolutely not'

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12 hours ago

The Knicks surprised the rest of the basketball world earlier this week when they fired coach Tom Thibodeau despite their best playoff run in 25 years. Now, the rumors are rampant for the top job in New York as the Knicks are looking to push all-in with their current roster.
Count Rick Pitino out as a potential name. The former Celtics coach, now at St. John's, was blunt when asked if he wanted the job: 'Absolutely not.' He was on-air during a broadcast between the Yankees and Guardians, pointing out the pressure that will come for the Knicks' next guy.
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'I think whoever comes in, if he doesn't get to the Finals, it's going to be deemed an unsuccessful season,' Pitino said. 'So, whoever comes in has got so much pressure on them to take this team to the next level because that's why they're doing it, obviously, in their minds.'
Pitino, 72, has had a long coaching career with multiple stops in both the NBA and in the college ranks. He did coach the Knicks from 1987-89 for two seasons. But the last time he was an NBA head coach was with the Celtics from 1997-2001 before he resigned.
Since then, Pitino spent 2001-17 with Louisville. But there was also the 'pay for play' scandal with the Cardinals which eventually led to him losing his job. Back then, before the current age of NIL, paying for players was illegal, amongst other details.
It took a few years but Pitino made his way back to the college ranks, starting with Iona and now with the Red Storm. St. John's had a stellar season in Pitino's second year there, going 31-5 and winning both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles. While they were upset in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Pitino was right back in the national spotlight.
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The Knicks are looking to take the next step themselves as the franchise hasn't won an NBA title since 1973. New York had a surprise run to the East Finals, including upsetting the Celtics in six games in the second round. But the Knicks weren't able to get back to the NBA Finals, falling in six games to the Pacers.
The Knicks have talented players on their roster, but they also must capitalize on that. They traded significant draft assets to get to this point, and with the East looking like a potential question mark going forward, the organization is looking at a short window of contention. That's where the new head coach figures to be a big part of the equation.
'I feel bad for Thibs because I think he captured all of New York and built something very, very special,' Pitino said, per SNY. 'A lot of us don't comprehend what happened. But Thibs is going to be well-taken-care-of and he'll move onto other pastures.'
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Read the original article on MassLive.