Pitino Positioned to Sell Himself Over the Airwaves

Rick Pitino, rumor in limbo, was in heaven over the weekend, credentialed by CBS to turn the NCAA tournament into his own personal smorgasbord.

So many upsets, so many disgruntled alums, so many new coaching vacancies just waiting to happen.

Pitino bellied up to the buffet in Dayton, Ohio, where he was assigned to analyze, and perhaps sample, the Midwest Regional. Once said to be headed to UCLA, Nevada Las Vegas, Indiana or Michigan--flip a coin, throw a dart--Pitino is, at the moment, linked to Louisville . . . but that was before Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa State, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and Wake Forest lost first-round games.

They said it couldn’t be done, that Pitino’s ego would be too big for press row, but there he was, sharing screen time with the play-by-play partner CBS assigned him, Tim Brando, not the luckiest of men. Brando spent most of his air time deferential to “the coach,” but after four games in tandem, and possibly surprised to see Pitino still at his side, even he couldn’t resist a verbal jab.

Noting that Jim Boeheim has coached at Syracuse for the last quarter-century, Brando mused, “Well, he hasn’t changed his address. That’s something you can’t relate to.”

And: “Oh, those roots! Be they in New York, Boston or Louisville.”

Or any other place that happens to catch Pitino’s fancy at any given moment.

For better or worse, UCLA-Pitino appears a dead issue, Steve Lavin having successfully circled the wagons, again, all the way from the brink of self-immolation to the Sweet 16.

But what about Cal State Northridge?

Pitino seemed curiously curious about the Big Sky Conference mid-major, raving about the tenacity of the Northridge players and the coaching skills of Bobby Braswell, whom Pitino seemed rather eager to push out the door to bigger things.

“I’m not promoting him to leave Cal State Northridge, but he’s done an outstanding job,” Pitino said of Braswell during Northridge’s first-round game against Kansas, “If I’m an AD, he’s one of the three guys in the country I go after.”

Wonder who Pitino has seeded No. 1 on that list.

He was also impressed with the early round success of the mid-major programs at the expense of traditional NCAA powers: “One of the keys today is coaches looking for mid-major jobs. Forget the major jobs--where are the mid-major jobs?”

Line up the dominoes: Pitino suddenly touting the appeal of a mid-major coaching job . . . Pitino suddenly touting Braswell as being ready for a bigger-time job . . . Pitino having already scouted neighborhoods around Westwood.

“We’re going to have to get you a new road map,” Brando kidded Pitino. “Someone with a Lear jet, give my man Pitino a call!”

Two days later, CBS flashed a graphic listing the top coaching vacancies in the country--Michigan, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas Tech, Massachusetts, UNLV and Louisville, where Pitino has interviewed and is the school’s preferred candidate.

“Here is a current list of the coaching vacancies, Rick,” Brando said. “Any interest?”

“Only one,” replied Pitino as he picked up the Telestrator and playfully circled Texas Tech, which is within one faculty riot of naming Bob Knight.

Brando: “Wow! Breaking news as our coverage of the NCAA tournament continues. . . . Seriously, though, Coach, just one word: Louisville. What about it?”

Pitino paused and exhaled. He had to know the question was coming--CBS would have been remiss not to address the issue--but he wasn’t thrilled about it.

“Great school, great state, great president and athletic director,” Pitino said. “Very interested, obviously, in the job, the position right now.

“But,” he quickly added, “my main focus right now is CBS University and the Final Four.”

So smooth, so slick, so quintessentially Pitino.

Brando, gamely trying to keep the banter light all weekend, played along again: “That’s it. He knows he can’t work with me forever. [Nervous laughter.] It’s been a lot of fun, though. I’ve really enjoyed the week.”

Pitino, spotting an opening for some payback: “Really, Tim, it’s been a great experience for me. And if I can just get with a better partner next week, I might even enrich my experience.”

Pitino was joking. At least Brando had to hope. With the sharp-tongued Pitino, you never really can be sure. His tartness can be an effective way to make a point with a 19-year-old point guard during practice, but behind the microphone in Dayton, it helped to keep the proceedings on edge.

Dissatisfied with Brando’s response to a trivia question about Dayton basketball--”That’s a terrible answer,” he needled--Pitino listened as Brando tried to play defense.

Brando: “Sometimes, a wealth of knowledge can be dangerous.”

Pitino: “That’s right. You don’t have to be concerned about that.”

Sunday, Pitino listened some more as Brando rambled on about the unusual shooting form of Syracuse forward Preston Shumpert.

Brando: “He takes the ball back just a bit, like back in the ‘70s and the days of ‘the Triplets’ [at the University of Arkansas] and the Arkansas jumper--when you take the shot all the way back behind your temple and the back of your head. A rather unorthodox shot that Shumpert has, but it is very effective.”

Pitino: “And the way you described it, ‘the Arkansas jumper,’ that’s quite unorthodox. There’s not a person in America that knows what you mean.”

With Pitino, the ride is never too comfortable for too long. Which worked to CBS’ benefit during subregional weekend, with its broadcast personnel stretched too thin over eight sites, with a play-by-play man, color analyst and sideline reporter dispatched to each venue. CBS has some prime-time players; Dick Enberg and Bill Walton were thrown a great game Saturday night, Stanford holding off St. Joseph’s, and their work--Enberg never hitting a false emotional note, Walton hammering away with his frank critiques--enhanced the action. But the bench at CBS does not run deep, giving too many games a generic, why-bother? feel.

And what about the textbook the network has evidently handed every one of its sideline reporters? Why must every hurried halftime interview have to end with, “Thanks, Coach! Good luck in the second half!” This is one more difference between sports television and real journalism. Rarely, for instance, have you heard Wolf Blitzer say, “Thanks, Mr. President! Good luck with the next session of Congress!”

Perspective, with these sideline reporters, can also be a problem. One stuck a microphone in the face of Gonzaga Coach Mark Few after the Bulldogs’ first-round victory over Virginia and breathlessly asked if the transfer of former Washington guard Dan Dickau to Gonzaga was “the best thing that ever happened to you?”

Pausing briefly to take that one in, Few smiled and said, “Well, my wife and my kid are up there.”

Thanks, Coach! Good luck at the family dinner table!