On the one hand, Pitino took over a program in the midst of a crushing probation and brought them back to glory, winning a national title in 1996.
On the other, he went on to coach at Louisville, Kentucky’s most bitter rival. It was hero turned villain.
This weekend, Pitino’s 1993 squad came back to Lexington to celebrate the 25-year anniversary of their historic run to the Final Four. The vast majority of the team was in attendance, but the former head coach was notably and unsurprisingly absent.
He did tweet about the reunion, telling his players he was proud and “loved the hell out of them.