The Minnesota Gophers won’t fire basketball coach Richard Pitino.
According to Jeff Goodman, the Gophers will keep Pitino after a brutally tough and disappointing 15-16 season for Minnesota. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Minnesota’s Richard Pitino will return as head coach next season, source told @stadium.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 13, 2020
Honestly, Pitino isn’t the main issue with Minnesota and the Gophers. The main issue is that Minnesota just isn’t the easiest place to win.
First off, they’re in the B1G. It’s the toughest conference in America, and winning comes at a premium. That much isn’t even up for debate.
Worse yet for the Gophers is the fact that they’re not an elite-level program nationally or in the conference.
They’re not Michigan State, Wisconsin, Maryland, Ohio State or any other elite program. They’re just not. That’s reality.
You can argue against it all you want, but it won’t change the reality of the situation. Minnesota fans who think they’re going to be Wisconsin with a new coach are delusional.
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Now, that doesn’t mean Pitino shouldn’t find a way to win more games. He absolutely should, but he’s not exactly in an easy position.