Friday, Jan. 12, 2001 | 10:37 a.m.
Rick Pitino is coming to Las Vegas next week to kick the tires on UNLV's basketball program.
But it sounds like he has already made an impulse buy.
Saying contract issues should be "easily workable," Pitino said that as long as no red flags pop up during his visit, he will accept the job as the Rebels' next head coach.
"I think it could be very soon," Pitino told the Boston Globe on Thursday. "They have made it very clear they want me. I just have to go out there and check out the situation myself. It will all be decided in the next two weeks."
A source close to Pitino was quoted by the Providence Journal saying, "The only potential deal-breaker is the (NCAA) sanctions. Other than that, this is already done."
Pitino is expected to come to town Tuesday or Wednesday. He will meet with UNLV president Carol Harter and athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro, and tour the university's facilities.
A UNLV departmental source said no contract has been offered to Pitino, but talks have begun with his representatives. The Globe said Pitino will seek a seven-year contract containing an escape clause, and his compensation package will likely exceed $1 million per year.
Attempts to contact Pitino in Miami were unsuccessful, but he told talk-radio host Jim Rome he isn't as worried about the financial aspects as whether he can be successful with a program on probation through December 2004.
"I want to talk to them about budgets, weight training, all basketball-related things," Pitino said. "Then I want to check out the severity of the sanctions.
"All of the other things always work out -- contracts and things like that, where you live and what you do. That's very easily workable.
"But what I want to find out, more importantly, is how strong is the basketball program? How committed to excellence is the athletic department? How committed are they to academics, to building on their tradition and to continuing some of their earlier years of prosperity?
"If those answers are very positive, then I am going to be extremely interested in that job."
Pitino has already made inquiries about UNLV's players, its early signees for next season and its coaching staff. He told friends he'll have an open mind about retaining some or all of the current coaches, but head coach Max Good is most likely to be asked to stay.
Pitino has also received a copy of the NCAA's infractions report against the program. On Dec. 12, the NCAA socked UNLV with sanctions that included four years' probation, a postseason ban this year and limits on scholarships and recruiting.
"I took over a program on probation with Kentucky and it's very difficult," Pitino conceded.
But the sanctions against the Rebels aren't as crippling as the situation Pitino inherited with the Wildcats in 1989. Under coach Eddie Sutton, Kentucky was found guilty of providing cash to a recruit (Chris Mills), academic fraud, unethical conduct and lack of institutional control.
The Wildcats were put on three years' probation, banned from the postseason in 1990 and 1991 and prohibited from playing on television in 1990. In 1996, Pitino coached Kentucky to the NCAA championship.
UNLV is not banned from TV, and its postseason ban (soon under appeal) will have expired after the season, so Pitino would only have to overcome two fewer scholarships this year and in 2002, and having his summer recruiting this year cut from 70 days to 35.
"I want to see what shape the program is in, look at the players and see if the sanctions will make it hard for me to win right away," Pitino said. "If we can be competitive, I think it can work. I'll know more after my visit."
Dick Vitale and Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski have advised Pitino to take over the Rebels.
"They both think it's an ideal job for me," Pitino said. "They think UNLV is a sleeping giant that could be brought back to where it was in the '80s, but this time with integrity. They both thought it was the kind of program I could quickly put my imprint on.
"If I feel UNLV can be a national contender, that's what I want more than anything. I want to build a Kentucky-like program, something that has people starving for excellence. If Vegas is that situation, then it can become one of the premier programs."
There has been conjecture that Pitino is so eager to get back into coaching that he might take over at UNLV this month, but that is highly unlikely. Not only does he plan to join CBS for the NCAA Tournament, but a midseason transition would be a PR nightmare for UNLV, especially if Pitino wants to keep Good.
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