Pitino wishes to coach until he’s 80: ‘I still have

ALBANY, N.Y.– Rick Pitino, Iona’s 70-year-old Hall of Fame coach, sat at the dais in a place he was significantly acquainted with– the NCAA tournament– and stated something that may surprise some people.He wants to

coach for another 10 years.” Well, I’m healthy

and psychologically I think I still have it,”Pitino stated Thursday.” But my wife always says,’ If you want to make God laugh, make a strategy. ‘I think you simply take it one year at a time. Now, my desire would be to coach that long.”Actually, the 2 years I ran out coaching was truly

the most unpleasant 2 years of my life because I missed it so much since I enjoy mentor, I like coaching, I enjoy motivating– whatever about it, I missed it extremely.”Editor’s Picks 1 Related Missing it is why Pitino coached in Greece at Panathinaikos prior to going back to college

basketball– and to Iona. Pitino said he would enjoy to coach as numerous as 12 more years,”however I’ll take six to seven.”Where those years will be invested, nevertheless, is the question.Pitino, who has actually been linked to open positions at St. John’s and Georgetown, quipped

that” you’re not employed by the Internet”when inquired about prospective training opportunities away from Iona. “My players– it’s not an interruption for them at all,”he said.”It’s truly not a distraction. I truly take it as a compliment.

“Pitino is 64-21 in 3 seasons and has 2 NCAA tournament looks at Iona– the latest area where he has had college success after 3 Final Fours and

a national championship at Louisville, two Final Fours and a nationwide title at Kentucky, and a Last 4 at Providence.Pitino praised what he has at Iona when asked whether he wanted to go to another reconstructing circumstance at this phase of his career.”The thing you have to look at is my players don’t leave unless they simply can’t dip into this level,”he stated.”They came for player development. They didn’t come for any other factor other than player advancement

.”And I’m sure Iona is going to have, in the future, NILs like everybody else. But I have an excellent team returning– [Walter] Clayton [Jr.], Daniss [

. Jenkins], Nelly [Junior Joseph], Osborn [Shema]– four beginners are returning, I have 2 or three men coming off the bench. “So that’s actually essential to me as well. I look at that as the No. 1 consider my life. So to address your question that would be truthful, it’s going to take an unique location for me to consider leaving.”Pitino’s next opportunity

training Iona comes Friday when the 13th-seeded Gaels face fourth-seeded UConn in the preliminary of the NCAA tournament.