Rick Pitino Reportedly Complained About Coaching Pros in Greece Before Iona Hire

As Rick Pitino prepares for his return to college basketball as head coach at Iona, one thing that may have factored into his decision to leave Greek team Panathinaikos was the difference between college and professional players.

Per CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, one source said Pitino "hated coaching pros" and "complained about it every day."

Iona announced Pitino's hiring Saturday, along with a statement from the Hall of Fame coach:

"My passion in basketball started in New York and will end there at Iona College. Tim Cluess has done a spectacular job creating success and a winning spirit. I wish Tim a speedy recovery and Iona will always cherish his accomplishments. At Iona, I will work with the same passion, hunger and drive that I've had for over forty years. There is a real professionalism in how things are run here and this is a very tight, strong community. The priority in New Rochelle right now is helping students continue their education online in light of the coronavirus and I very much look forward to the day when the community is back on campus and to get to work on further elevating this strong program."

Norlander noted Pitino recently informed Panathinaikos players he would be returning to coach college basketball at the conclusion of the Euroleague season.

The Euroleague suspended its season on Thursday because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Iona's head coaching job opened up Friday when Tim Cluess, who has been with the program since 2010-11, announced he was stepping down to focus on recovering from recent health concerns.

Panathinaikos was Pitino's first job after Louisville fired him in October 2017 amid the fraud and corruption scandal throughout college basketball. The Greek team hired him in December 2018, and he has led the team to a 24-23 record in Euroleague play.

Pitino has spent a total of 32 seasons coaching in college with five different schools. His time with Panathinaikos was just his third time coaching professional players. He previously spent two seasons with the New York Knicks (1987-89) and three-plus seasons with the Boston Celtics from 1997 to 2001.