Rick Pitino

Rick Pitino

Head Coach

Louisville Cardinals

553-191

Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)

Billy Donovan (Florida), Ralph Willard (Holy Cross), Tubby Smith (Minnesota), Herb Sendek (Arizona State), Jim O'Brien (Indiana Pacers - NBA), Reggie Theus (Sacramento Kings - NBA)

Billy Donovan (Providence), Antoine Walker (Kentucky), Tony Delk (Kentucky), Jamal Mashburn (Kentucky), Ron Mercer (Kentucky)

Rick Pitino takes a lot of heat for his often-ugly stint as head coach of the Boston Celtics. But very few can match his resume as a collegiate coach. Consider:

• Heading into the 2007-08 season, his .731 career winning percentage ranks 12th among active coaches and 30th all-time.
• His winning percentage in NCAA Tournament games is even better, .744 in 43 games of March Madness.
• He is the only coach to bring three different teams (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville) to the Final Four.

And give Pitino extra credit for developing a whole generation of great college coaches, including national title winners Billy Donovan of Florida and Tubby Smith, Pitino's successor at Kentucky.

His teams -- and the teams of the coaches he's influenced -- employ an easily recognizable style of play: fast-paced and frenetic, with full-court defensive pressure on defense and lots of three-point shots. But don't dismiss Pitino's teams as a bunch of chuckers -- he's also a highly respected tactician.

Extortion and Scandal

In April 2009, Karen Sypher, the estranged wife of a Pitino assistant was arrested for attempting to extort money from the Louisville coach. After her arrest, Sypher accused Pitino of rape. In statements to the police, Pitino denied the allegation, but admitted to having consensual sex with Sypher and later giving her $3000, possibly to fund an abortion.