Louisville, KY (Sports Network) - The University of Louisville announced
Tuesday that it has extended the contract of head basketball coach Rick Pitino
through the 2021-2022 season.
Pitino, 60, was reported to have already signed his last extension, which was
set to expire in 2016-17, but Louisville athletics director Tom Jurich thinks
the veteran coach has a lot left in him.
"He might be 60, but he's going on 35, maybe even younger than that," Jurich
said. "He's got an incredible amount of energy and he's worked extremely hard.
We just love the direction this program is going. I'd really like to see him
continue on as long as he possibly can."
Pitino has 27 years of head coaching experience at the collegiate level,
including the last 11 in Louisville, where he has amassed a 275-106 record.
His career winning percentage of .729 (629-234) ranks 11th among active
collegiate coaches.
Last season, the Cardinals won the Big East Tournament and reached the Final
Four -- the sixth time a Pitino-led team advanced that far in the NCAA
Tournament.
Pitino was the first coach to take three different teams to the Final Four
and helped Kentucky capture the 1996 national championship.
The Sports Network