Rick Pitino

One of college basketball’s most illustrious coaching careers seemed to come to an ignominious close on Wednesday September 27 2017 as Rick Pitino was ousted by the University of Louisville. Pitino’s lawyer, Steve Pence, later released a statement in which he said that Pitino, 65, had, “in effect, been fired.” The move came one day after federal prosecutors accused two unidentified Cardinals coaches of directing money provided by the university’s apparel partner, Adidas, to two high school prospects, and three months after Pitino and his program were sanctioned by the N.C.A.A. for a scandal in which prostitutes were provided to players and teenage recruits. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Pitino never lost the thick accent he earned during a childhood in the region, and first made his name with an improbable Final Four run with Providence in 1987. His career also included less successful stints in the N.B.A., with the Knicks and the Boston Celtics. Most notably, he revived the two beloved college programs in the Bluegrass State, first leading the University of Kentucky, starting in 1989, out of heavy N.C.A.A. sanctions and to three Final Fours, including the 1996 national title, and then leading the Cardinals to three Final Fours and another national title.