Pitino reached out to NBA teams, 'couldn't even get an interview'

Former Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino says his agent reached out to several NBA teams when coaching openings emerged, but couldn't even get an interview.

Pitino was fired in 2017 in the aftermath of the Adidas pay-for-play scandal. The 66-year-old says he will no longer pursue a coaching job.

"I'm not considering coaching, period," Pitino told Jeff Greer of the Louisville Courier Journal. "Since leaving Louisville, my agent has reached out when NBA openings have surfaced. We couldn't even get an interview. I can't blame the general managers who turned me down. Louisville fired me so abruptly. It instantly created the impression that I must be guilty of something."

Pitino says he plans to be a consultant for around 20 college programs across the country. He will assist coaches with planning and preparation for the season.

"All I'm interested in doing right now is motivating young athletes and programs and coaches, try to help them out, and try to stay active in the game in that way," Pitino said.

Pitino has an overall college coaching record of 770-271. He's been to seven Final Fours and won two championships, one with Kentucky in 1996 and the other with Louisville in 2013.