Pitino Expected to Take Over the Celtics

Rick Pitino appears ready to take over the Boston Celtics, a job he called “the greatest opportunity ever afforded a coach.”

Pitino, holding an impromptu news conference Monday before a book signing in Atlanta, said he will announce today whether he’ll leave Kentucky for the Celtics and a reported $70 million.

“Whoever gets the Boston Celtics job is getting a great honor,” Pitino said.

But Celtic President Red Auerbach said in Tuesday’s editions of the Boston Globe that Pitino will take over the team next season.

“[Pitino] is going to be coach and something else,” Auerbach said, while adding that he would remain team president. The Globe said the other position was director of operations.

Pitino planned to meet this morning with Kentucky Athletic Director C.M. Newton before revealing his decision.

WBZ-TV in Boston reported he already agreed to coach the Celtics for the first six years of a 10-year deal before becoming director of basketball operations for the final four. The station also reported the agreement could make him the highest-paid coach in sports history.

Also, the Globe reported that wholesale changes are under way in the organization. M.L. Carr, director of basketball operations, notified assistant coaches that they should be prepared to move on, and General Manager Jan Volk, who has been with the team for more than 25 years, also may leave.

There were other signs indicating Pitino would leave Kentucky, where he has three years left on his contract.

He pulled out of alumni functions in Kentucky today and Wednesday and called off a book-signing at Henderson, Ky., scheduled for Wednesday.

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The Philadelphia 76ers, desperate for a proven winner, made the well-traveled Larry Brown the highest-paid coach in the league.

Although terms of the contract were not revealed, and neither Brown nor 76er President and part-owner Pat Croce would confirm it, sources familiar with the negotiations said Brown’s deal was worth nearly $25 million over five years.

That would put Brown’s salary well above both Miami’s Pat Riley and New Jersey’s John Calipari, each earning $3 million a year. Riley’s deal also reportedly gave him 10% of the team.

A college or pro coach for each of the past 24 seasons, Brown, 56, resigned from the Indiana Pacers last Wednesday.

Brown has a career coaching record of 1,030-648, but will have his work cut out with the 76ers, who have not had a winning season since 1991 and were 22-60 this season.

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Former Phoenix Sun coach Paul Westphal became the second candidate to interview for the Denver Nugget coaching vacancy. John Lucas, who coached in San Antonio and Philadelphia, was interviewed last week. Atlanta Hawk assistant Bill Hanzlik is believed to be the Nuggets’ first choice.