Report: Iona's Rick Pitino Being 'Heavily' Pursued by Maryland for Head Coach Job

Rick Pitino's return to high-major college basketball may be nigh.

Eric Bickel and Jason Bishop of 106.7 The Fan's Sports Junkies reported Wednesday that Maryland is "heavily pursuing" Pitino, who's in his second season at Iona.

Bickel said the 69-year-old is the Terrapins' "No. 1 choice" and that some donors are "leading the charge."

Mark Turgeon stepped down as Maryland's head coach in December following a 5-3 start to the season. The pressure had been mounting following a 17-14 finish for the Terps in 2020-21.

Turgeon's departure was an example of the high expectations in College Park. He compiled a 226-116 record in 11 seasons but couldn't overcome his relative lack of NCAA tournament success—one trip to the Sweet 16.

Pitino is a proven winner. He led Kentucky and Louisville to one national championship apiece and guided his teams to seven Final Fours.

His impact is already being felt at Iona, with the Gaels on pace to finish with their third-highest winning percentage (.828) thanks to a 24-5 start.

The dilemma for Maryland or any other major program is whether hiring Pitino is worth the inevitable scrutiny it would bring.

Louisville vacated its 2013 national title and its 2012 Final Four run in February 2018 after a former assistant coach allegedly paid to have exotic dancers at parties for players and prospective recruits at an on-campus dorm.

Pitino was already gone by that point, getting fired in October 2017 after the school was implicated in the FBI's investigation into corruption in college basketball.

Basketball insider Adam Zagoria reported in February that Pitino was discussing a "lifetime" contract with Iona, so any speculation linking him to Maryland or another school could be moot.

Because of his age, the legendary coach might nevertheless relish the opportunity to win one more championship before he retires. Maryland clearly isn't at that level right now but because of its general stature shouldn't require a long rebuild to be nationally relevant again.