Richard Pitino, the son of Louisville head coach Rick Pitino and an assistant coach with the Cardinals, will become the next head coach at Florida International, according to his father.
"You know I'm delighted, but I'm going miss [him] terribly," Rick Pitino told the Associated Press. "I think one of the great things in 35 years of coaching was spending three years with him. Watch him grow as a basketball coach, and you sort of don't want it to end."
A source confirmed the news to CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman.
Pitino will replace Isiah Thomas, who was fired on April 6 after compiling a 26-65 record during three seasons at FIU.
Pitino, 29, has been an assistant coach at Florida, Duquesne, Northeastern and Charleston, in addition to two separate stretches under his father at Louisville. He graduated from Providence.
Since Thomas was fired, Florida International basketball has remained in the news. Its players walked out of an athletic department banquet last week before the season’s awards were to be announced. Moreover, the school is also reportedly refusing to release current players who want to leave FIU from their scholarships.
