Cronin, Tubby Smith share Pitino bond

Mick Cronin and Tubby Smith have one notable thing in common. They both worked for Naismith Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino.

University of Cincinnati coach Cronin and Memphis coach Smith were to meet Thursday night at UC, when the No. 15-ranked Bearcats (24-3, 13-1 American Athletic Conference) played host to the Tigers (18-9, 8-6 AAC).

Cronin spent a couple of years at Louisville as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator under Pitino, beginning with the 2001–02 season. Cronin parlayed that into his first head coaching job, at Murray State starting in 2003-04.

Smith was on Pitino’s first Kentucky staff for two years, beginning in the 1989-90 season. That led to Smith’s first…