Pitino Enjoys Other Side of Rivalry

The one thing Rick Pitino has learned from the other side of the Louisville-Kentucky rivalry is that Cardinal fans don’t take their annual meeting nearly as seriously as Wildcat fans.

Pitino doesn’t either.

“Here, it’s not life and death. There, it’s life and death,” said Pitino, the Louisville coach who used to have the same job at Kentucky. “Here, it’s a game people look forward to, they all want to win, they’re all charged. But they’re not going to go home and stand out in the cold for hours if they don’t.”

Pitino was relaxed and smiling as he talked about Saturday’s game between his Cardinals (6-1) and the 14th-ranked Wildcats (6-2) at Freedom Hall.

He was much more stressed before last year’s game, which marked his first appearance at Rupp Arena since he left Kentucky for the Boston Celtics in 1997. Pitino coached the Wildcats for eight seasons and led them to the 1995-96 national title.

Pitino acknowledged that he was saddened by how Kentucky fans received him, but he remains a fan of the program.

“I’m not one for bitter rivalries, I’m one for great rivalries,” he said. “Certainly, I want Kentucky to lose this Saturday, but outside of that, I root for them.”