Report: Pitino Rejects Offer From the Hawks

Kentucky basketball Coach Rick Pitino was the Atlanta Hawks’ first choice to replace Bob Weiss as coach, but he rejected their offer, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The newspaper reported Tuesday that Hawk General Manager Pete Babcock offered Pitino the job Monday, the same day Weiss was fired.

“I like Pete a lot and I like Atlanta as a city,” Pitino told the newspaper. “But I don’t have any interest in leaving. I’m very happy at Kentucky.”

Babcock would neither confirm nor deny speculation that the club had offered Pitino a deal worth nearly $2 million.