Signals mixed in Pitino derby

Steve Addy

Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2001 | 10:35 a.m.

Rick Pitino says he is still interested in the UNLV coaching job.

Others claim he is only playing footsie with the Rebels to inflate his market value.

Until the matter is finally resolved, no one will know who is talking through their hat.

Pitino denied a Boston Herald report on Tuesday that he is no longer interested in the Rebels' job. He also confirmed Tuesday's report in the Sun that he plans to meet with UNLV president Carol Harter (and prominent boosters) in Las Vegas within two weeks.

The meeting will be held Feb. 14, sources told the Sun. It is a follow-up to Pitino's Jan. 17 meeting in Miami with UNLV athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro.

"I haven't talked to (Cavagnaro) since he left, but we had a grand meeting and fun together," Pitino told ESPN.com.

The Herald cited "friends" of Pitino as saying he told them he no longer wanted the UNLV job. The newspaper did not quote Pitino or the friends, nor did it specify when the friends had spoken to Pitino. He called the report false.

"I told (UNLV representatives) all along that I have interest, but I don't know a lot about it. I would like to see them first," Pitino said.

Pitino also acknowledged that he called former UNLV coach Bill Bayno two weeks ago to discuss the job.

"(Pitino) had a million questions and I tried to answer them," Bayno said Tuesday. "I answered as honestly as I could."

But despite Pitino's stated interest, an informed source in Las Vegas insists that Pitino is mainly using UNLV to pump his market price for potential offers from UCLA, Michigan and Kentucky.

UNLV boosters have put together a package that could pay Pitino up to $2 million a year. Now that the salary bar has been set, the source said Pitino's planned meeting with Harter is designed to maintain UNLV's interest in case another school doesn't present a better offer.

That is why Pitino would quickly deny any report that seems to remove him from the Rebels' front burner.

"The Boston story was correct -- he won't take the job -- but he has to deny it now because there's no reason to pull out this early," the source said.

"A lot of people at UNLV and around town are getting used pretty badly on this."

Indeed, Pitino is now stressing he might not take any coaching job next season.

"If it means sitting out a year and looking forward to the following year, then I will do that," Pitino said. "But I would rather not. I would like to coach basketball while I can. I am young enough (48) to get into a job. But the right job might not be there for me."

Then why was Pitino so close to casting his lot with UNLV two weeks ago before backing off? He said he got too anxious.

"I don't know if it's a weakness, but I didn't want to stay away from (coaching)," he said. "I have never had time off in 30 years and I didn't know how to react. I immediately thought about getting a leg up recruiting-wise."

Cavagnaro was unavailable for comment Tuesday. He returns today from Marco Island, Fla., where he has been attending a meeting of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

"There isn't a definite date for bringing litigation," attorney Steve Owens of Kansas City said Tuesday, though he isn't optimistic a lawsuit can be avoided. "Coach Bayno and I have tried to do this without litigation, but we're not very hopeful that will be the case. We are not close (to a settlement)."

"I'll go to summer school wherever I transfer," Scoggin said from his Irvine home. "I'm probably leaning toward USC. It's close to home. I know a lot of people there and the program is doing well."