Rick Pitino will no longer coach the Greek national team following the completion of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Victoria, Canada.
Pitino said the deal between him and the Greek Basketball Federation was only for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Olympic Games, should Greece advance to the final tournament.
“There’s no future for me. I am here as the ex-coach and friend of PG (Greek center George Papagiannis). Ι am no longer the national coach of Greece.
This is a one-stint for me. It’s something that takes a lot of my time. It took six weeks and I still have a team back home (Iona College).
This is a one-shot deal. In Greece, they don’t even know who is in charge of the federation yet, but they are a lot of terrific Greek coaches that can carry on what we are trying to build this week and certainly I am there to help them in any way.
I love Greece, I love the players I am coaching, but this is a one-shot deal for me,” Pitino said in the press conference after the Final of the Victoria Olympic Qualifying tournament.
