Rick Pitino's teams are known for their defense. The basketball coach himself prides himself on teaching his teams discipline and hard work. So I guess it's no surprise that in his self-titled book, the ousted Louisville coach puts in a lot of hard work defending himself. Whether or not you like the book probably depends on whether or not you believe him.
I borrowed this book from a co-worker who warned me about what to expect. He also told me it was interesting to read about Pitino's career and how he ended up as one of the best-known (and most hated?) coaches in college basketball. But, my very smart co-worker Aaron also said the book was somewhat comical in Pitino's assertions that he knew nothing about the scandal in his program that was unfolding all around him.
If you're not a college basketball fan, there's really no reason for you to read this book. If you are a college basketball fan, you know plenty about the various controversies and scandals that brought Pitino down (strippers, adultery, shoe deals and recruiting violations.) It's somewhat fascinating to hear about how it all came crashing down from the man who was at the top of the pile when it did. But, there's very little satisfaction in it, too. It's not that I expected Pitino to use the book to unload his darkest secrets and transgressions. Still, it's really hard to believe he had no idea about all that was happening within his program. He was the king - and either he knew, or he was really bad at leading a program.
It bugged me that Pitino deflected so much. Even more, it bugged me how much he contradicted himself throughout. And, he completely glossed over details, too. Then, he ends with his advice for how to live a better, happier life. It all just felt... hollow.
I found parts of this book interesting, much of it confounding, some of it even confusing. I still like Pitino at the end of the day, but it's because I like the way he coaches, but not because of the man he portrays himself to be.
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