Current Louisville Cardinals coach Pat Kelsey recently spoke highly of former Louisville tactician Rick Pitino. On Wednesday, Aug. 6, college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein uploaded a clip on his X/Twitter handle from his recent interview with coach Kelsey on CBS Sports‘ “Inside College Basketball Now” podcast. Kelsey talked about the current St. John’s Red Storm coach in the almost two-minute clip.
Rothstein asked Kelsey for his thoughts on Pitino and his potential return to the Cardinals’ home arena, the KFC Yum! Center. This is because there were previous reports of a potential regular-season game between the Red Storm and Louisville at the aforementioned arena. It would be a delight for Kelsey to welcome Pitino back, and he even praised him for his greatness.
“When you say he’s welcome, Coach Kelsey says he’s welcome. I don’t have to welcome the great Rick Pitino back; this is his town. He can come back any time he wants, and we would love to have him back. I think on most college basketball Mount Rushmores, coach Pitino has always been up there. Since he’s come back, the he’s had success at Iona, and then he goes to St. John’s and he’s turned them into one of the best programs in college basketball again so quickly,” Kelsey said.
“If there was any question from any college basketball fan whether he’s on the Mount Rushmore or not, that’s done. He might be the best in the history of college basketball. So just to know, sometimes I think about it, like I’m sitting in this office and have the same office as the great Rick Pitino. It’s humbling and to get him back here at some point would be one of the coolest things, I think, you know, in the history of Louisville basketball,” he added.
Pat Kelsey would welcome Rick Pitino’s return to the KFC Yum Center.
🎧 https://t.co/c9JLel2QnF (Apple)
🎧 https://t.co/EsZxIkca32 (Spotify) pic.twitter.com/Tvh9gTW1RM— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 7, 2025
Kelsey and the Cardinals are coming off their first campaign together in the 2024-25 season, in which they finished with an overall record of 27-8 (18-2, ACC).
They then made an appearance in this year’s NCAA tournament, but lost to the Creighton Bluejays by 14 points, 89-75, in the first round of the postseason.
Rick Pitino is celebrated as one of the greatest Louisville Cardinals coaches of all time
Current St. John’s Red Storm coach Rick Pitino is regarded by many as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Louisville Cardinals coaches of all time.
This is because when Pitino was appointed as the program’s main tactician in 2001, he quickly turned the team around and made it a successful squad with a 2013 national championship. Pitino enjoyed a lengthy tenure with the team from 2001 to 2017.
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