WATCH: Rick Pitino looked ready to fight, had to be held back from a heckler at UNC
Something appeared to trigger Rick Pitino on Wednesday night, and he looked ready to go
As Louisville coach Rick Pitino was making his way into the locker room at halftime of the Cardinalsâ loss at North Carolina on Wednesday night, he had to be moved along by multiple people. Pitino seemed to be visibly angered with a heckling fan.
Hereâs the video, via ESPN. Something quite clearly catches Pitinoâs ear, and he looks ready to rumble almost immediately.
According to ESPN sideline reporter Maria Taylor, a fan yelled, âPitino, you suck!â and that is what prompted this reaction from the 64-year-old coach.
The fan was ejected, according to Taylor. Hereâs a shorter version, with crowd audio, from the game. Via Sports Illustratedâs Jonathan Jones.
Rick Pitino is very displeased with a UNC fan pic.twitter.com/z4bYUuyMw6
— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) February 23, 2017
After the game, Pitino addressed the incident, first saying he always has believed the Dean Dome to be the âclassiest place in college basketball,â then added that the taunt came from an adult -- not a student -- and it was something Pitino didnât like. As for any more specifics, we didnât get them. Per Pitino, the fan turned his back like a âcowardâ on him after his heckle.
Pitino on the exchange with a fan pic.twitter.com/gCQKiSaO6r
— Brant Wilkerson-New (@BrantGNR) February 23, 2017
















