NEW YORK - He has many of his father's mannerisms and a competitive instinct that has brought him from Providence College to Northeastern to the College of Charleston to Duquesne and for the past two years to the University of Louisville as an assistant to his father.
Say hello to Richard Pitino, who could wind up as the next basketball coach at Boston University, where Rick Pitino made his head coaching debut 31 years ago.
At least that is the way Richard Pitino hopes it works out.
Although it is early in the process of what BU athletic director Mike Lynch said will be a nationwide search for a successor to Dennis Wolff, who was fired Wednesday after 15 seasons, a list of potential candidates is emerging.
Pitino's name is on that list, along with two other Louisville assistants, Steve Masiello and former Celtic Walter McCarty. Other candidates include Pittsburgh associate head coach Tom Herrion, Boston College assistant Pat Duquette, Providence assistant Pat Skerry, and former Providence coach Tim Welsh. Another possibility is BU assistant Orlando Vandross.
"I would be very interested," Pitino said yesterday following Louisville's 73-55 win over Providence in the Big East tournament. The younger Pitino also has Boston roots, having attended St. Sebastian's when his father coached the Celtics.
After graduating from Providence with a degree in history, he spent two years as an assistant coach at St. Andrew's High School in Barrington, R.I., a year as an assistant at the College of Charleston, and then two years on Ron Everhart's staffs at Northeastern and Duquesne, before his father hired him.
"He's ready, more than ready," said Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese.
Meanwhile, Wolff was at home in Walpole, absorbing the firing and pondering his future.
"I was up all night thinking about it," said Wolff, who had four years remaining on a 10-year contract, which could cost BU as much as $1.2 million. "I enjoyed my time at BU and this was clearly not the way I would have liked to see my relationship end. But they think that someone else can do a better job. I hope for the kids' sake that everything works out."
Lynch did not return phone calls from the Globe.
