PJ Guippone

Today, the news officially dropped that Rick Pitino is out at Louisville. It seemed as if he has been an unstoppable force, surviving many scandals, both personal and in the program. But, it all proved to be too much and he is officially no longer the coach of the Louisville Cardinals. This news comes in the wake of the FBI investigation regarding illegal bribes to college programs from outside sources for recruiting purposes. Now, Louisville is the first of potentially many schools to fire their coach. They are left with a lot of talent, but a shattered direction and a program in shambles.

Realistically, they should go out and hire someone like Mr. Rogers to bring some holistic peace back to their program. Look outwardly for the most unassuming, simple character they can. Maybe even someone like Bob the Builder to promote hard work and togetherness without any negative baggage. No illicit affairs and abortions or anything like that.

Actually though, they need to take basketball into account in some capacity.

I believe the best option for a new coach while taking basketball and direction into account is Tom Crean. When asked what qualities would be important in the search, the interim president of the University of Louisville responded with “integrity.” That makes sense considering it is what they have been lacking for probably about eight years now. Just look at Pitino’s wardrobe. No one wears an all-white suit when they have nothing to hide. Also, no one wears an all-white suit if they have any sense of style at all. That leaves Pitino as a poorly dressed coach with no integrity and a lot to hide.

With Tom Crean, Louisville would be solving two of these issues. Crean is no GQ Jay Wright on the sideline, but he is a man that doesn’t really seem to care about much more than basketball. He is fiery on the sideline and honest in press appearances. Despite the size of his melon, it doesn’t seem like there are any dirty secrets hidden in it.

Additionally, Crean has experience with going to programs undergoing rebuilds. When he left Marquette for Indiana in 2008, the Hoosiers had just lost their head coach and were approaching a time in their program that appeared to be tumultuous. After three subpar seasons, he turned Indiana back into a national powerhouse with stellar recruiting and many marquee wins. Although his time is remembered mostly for the underachievement of his final few seasons, Crean is a stellar basketball coach with top-notch recruiting ability and a clean track record.

Now, Louisville is in shambles. Along with the loss of their head coach and their Athletic Director, they will most likely lose the eligibility of many of their players, most notably five-star recruit Brian Bowen. That is not even mentioning potential transfers from the program, which is already beginning with players decommiting. They need someone that will be able to right the ship by keeping the focus on basketball only. Tom Crean is exactly that man.