“I think the other coaches in the Big East will pay more than a passing glance when they pick up their paper and see who the new Providence coach is.”
Big East Commissioner Dave Gavitt was excited about the new face of his old program.
The new face was former-Knicks assistant Rick Pitino. After two seasons in the NBA, Pitino was ready to return to the college ranks where he had previously had success at Boston University.
In just his second year with the Friars, Pitino’s NBA experience would come in handy. Prior to the 1986-87 season, the NCAA adopted the three-point line as an experimental rule.