LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino met with the media on Tuesday afternoon to introduce the Cardinals' new coaching staff - associate coach Richard Pitino and assistant coaches Wyking Jones and Kevin Keatts - at the Yum! Center.
After Rick Pitino talked about the new staff, his son, Richard, Jones and Keatts spoke with the media and answered questions about coming to Louisville and past coaching experiences.
Richard, an assistant on the Louisville staff from 2007-09, has developed into one of the top young assistants and recruiters nationally, with a reputation as a tireless worker and a comprehensive and detailed scout. He worked at Florida under head coach Billy Donovan, who played under Rick Pitino at Providence for two seasons, including the 1986-87 season when the Friars reached the NCAA Final Four.
In his two seasons with the Gators, Florida was a combined 50-20 with back-to back NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the 2011 NCAA Southeast Regional finals before falling to NCAA runner-up Butler. The Gators won the 2011 Southeastern Conference championship and had a 29-7 overall record, ranking 10th in the final ESPN/USA Today poll and 15th by AP.
Jones previously spent two years at New Mexico under head coach Steve Alford. He helped the Lobos produce a combined 52-18 record. The 2009-10 New Mexico team won a school-record 30 games (30-5 record), won the Mountain West Conference Championship and was ranked eighth in the final AP poll.
Before joining the New Mexico staff, Jones spent two years as a basketball travel team manager with Nike Elite Youth Basketball. There, he managed all 45 travel teams and the tournaments that Nike sponsored in its grassroots youth program, while he built key relationships across the nation.
Keatts, through 10 seasons at Hargrave Military Academy in two separate stints as the head coach (1999-2001, 2003-2011), compiled an incredible 262-17 record with two national prep titles (2004, 2008), three runner-up finishes (2005, 2006, 2009) and two additional appearances among the final four prep teams (2007, 2010). He won his second national prep title with a perfect 29-0 record, the school's first undefeated season. His teams lost one or fewer games on six occasions.
Located in Chatham, Va., Hargrave produced 103 players who signed NCAA Division I men's basketball scholarships during Keatts 10 seasons as a head coach -- an average of over 10 a year -- and an additional 18 advanced to play at the Division II level. Among the active BIG EAST Conference players who attended Hargrave are Pittsburgh guard Isaiah Epps and DePaul guard/forward Eric Wallace.
After Rick Pitino talked about the new staff, his son, Richard, Jones and Keatts spoke with the media and answered questions about coming to Louisville and past coaching experiences.
Richard, an assistant on the Louisville staff from 2007-09, has developed into one of the top young assistants and recruiters nationally, with a reputation as a tireless worker and a comprehensive and detailed scout. He worked at Florida under head coach Billy Donovan, who played under Rick Pitino at Providence for two seasons, including the 1986-87 season when the Friars reached the NCAA Final Four.
In his two seasons with the Gators, Florida was a combined 50-20 with back-to back NCAA Tournament appearances, including reaching the 2011 NCAA Southeast Regional finals before falling to NCAA runner-up Butler. The Gators won the 2011 Southeastern Conference championship and had a 29-7 overall record, ranking 10th in the final ESPN/USA Today poll and 15th by AP.
Jones previously spent two years at New Mexico under head coach Steve Alford. He helped the Lobos produce a combined 52-18 record. The 2009-10 New Mexico team won a school-record 30 games (30-5 record), won the Mountain West Conference Championship and was ranked eighth in the final AP poll.
Before joining the New Mexico staff, Jones spent two years as a basketball travel team manager with Nike Elite Youth Basketball. There, he managed all 45 travel teams and the tournaments that Nike sponsored in its grassroots youth program, while he built key relationships across the nation.
Keatts, through 10 seasons at Hargrave Military Academy in two separate stints as the head coach (1999-2001, 2003-2011), compiled an incredible 262-17 record with two national prep titles (2004, 2008), three runner-up finishes (2005, 2006, 2009) and two additional appearances among the final four prep teams (2007, 2010). He won his second national prep title with a perfect 29-0 record, the school's first undefeated season. His teams lost one or fewer games on six occasions.
Located in Chatham, Va., Hargrave produced 103 players who signed NCAA Division I men's basketball scholarships during Keatts 10 seasons as a head coach -- an average of over 10 a year -- and an additional 18 advanced to play at the Division II level. Among the active BIG EAST Conference players who attended Hargrave are Pittsburgh guard Isaiah Epps and DePaul guard/forward Eric Wallace.
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