Rick Pitino Agrees to Become Head Coach of Greek Club Panathinaikos

Former NBA and college basketball coach Rick Pitino is set to become the new head coach of Panathinaikos in Greece. 

Pitino tweeted his excitement over the position on Monday:

On Dec. 20, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Pitino was "finalizing a deal" to take over the 36-time Greek Basket League champions and six-time EuroLeague winners.

Panathinaikos parted ways with coach Xavi Pascual earlier on Dec. 20, per Kostas Giataganas of EuroHoops.

Pitino has been a coaching free agent since the University of Louisville terminated his contract with cause in October 2017 for his alleged role in the Brian Bowen recruitment scandal.

The 66-year-old New York City native told ESPN's Jay Bilas he had "no knowledge" of the situation and took a lie detector test in an effort to prove his innocence:

"I was asked two questions. And I said, 'I want you to ask me if any other recruits in my tenure were ever given anything.' And he [the polygraph examiner] said, 'That's not what we're here for. We're here for: Did you have any knowledge of the Bowen family getting any money? Did you have any knowledge of an Adidas transaction?'

"I answered 'absolutely not' on both questions and passed the lie detector test. So I had no knowledge of any of this."

Pitino expressed interest in a return to the NBA, potentially with a rebuilding squad he could help turn around, according to Wojnarowski.

"I just want to be a part of an organization," he told ESPN in October. "I want to develop young players. I want to be part of a team. I miss it terribly. I'm using this time to really study the NBA. If something opens up with a young basketball team, I'd have deep interest in it."

Pitino was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 for a coaching career that spanned four decades. He's served as head coach with Louisville, the University of Kentucky, Providence College and Boston University in college as well as the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in the NBA.

Panathinaikos is currently undefeated in GBL play (8-0) but owns just a 6-7 record in EuroLeague action, which prompted the coaching change. It last won Europe's top basketball title in 2011.

Pitino will inherit a roster led by Greek star Nikos Pappas and two Americans—former University of Kansas standout Keith Langford and Deshaun Thomas, a 2013 second-round pick of the San Antonio Spurs.