ALBANY, N.Y. (WDRB) — Welcome to Rick Pitino Theater, the show that never ends.

As the 2023 NCAA men's basketball Tournament unfolds with Pitino's Iona squad the No. 13 seed in the West Regional, the plot includes all the juicy usuals, starting with job rumors.

This year the grapevine has Pitino taking the first limousine to St. John's or Providence or Texas Tech (in that order) as soon as his team is eliminated, perhaps as early as Friday when the Gaels open against UConn at 4:30 p.m. at MVP Arena.

What, Pitino worry or become distracted by coaching gossip? He reminded younger media members that in 1996, when Pitino led Kentucky to the national title, he juggled offers from five NBA franchises.

Pitino did not leave — until the next season.

"Business as usual," said Steve Masiello, an Iona program assistant who played for Pitino at UK and coached for him at Louisville. "He hasn't lost a step in 15 years. Not one. Still the best in the business."

Then there is the talk about Pitino's boundless passion. He'll turn 71 in September but said he would love to go another 10 years. His body is healthy. His mind is sharp.

Pitino said he that "hated" being away from the college game for two seasons after he was fired at U of L in 2017, following the program's third scandal in less than a decade. Although he has a spectacular home tucked on a fairway at Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York City, a pitching wedge will never scratch Rick Pitino's relentless competitive itch.

"I feel like he lives for this," said Berrick JeanLouis, one or Iona's starting guards. "He loves basketball a lot … he even says it in practice a lot, 'I'll die for basketball. I want to die on a basketball court.' He talks crazy about it. He loves that."

And although Pitino's dismissal at Louisville was harsh, his emotions are tightly tied to his former Cardinal players and U of L fans. To Pitino, there is nothing tainted about the NCAA title Louisville won in Atlanta 10 years ago.

Pitino could not tweak his schedule to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of that team last month at the KFC Yum! He also respectfully declined to record a video to recognize the achievement.

But Pitino said that he texts constantly with players from that team, especially Russ Smith and Peyton Siva, his starting guards.

Thursday, before he jogged onto the court for his team's public practice, Pitino said this:

"When you spend 18 years at a place, you're going to have your ups and down. And maybe our downs were a little bit harsher.

"But I also look at the ups — and the ups were very high. It's three Final Fours and a national championship.

"I've said this over and over. You can take down a banner but you can't take down a national championship. You can't do it. You can't rewrite history."

On Friday Pitino will try to make history again. This will his his 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament. His overall winning tournament winning percentage (.696, 39-17) ranks fourth among active coaches, behind Bill Self, John Calipari and Tom Izzo.

This is first time Pitino has started the party as a No. 13 seed. At UK or U of L, his teams were typically seeded four or higher. Pitino said there were plenty of nights when the pressure of expectations weighed on those squads, even in 1996, when UK started slowly against San Jose State.

Never forget that Pitino made his tournament reputation in 1987, when he took a Providence team that was seeded sixth in the Southeast Regional all the way to the Final Four. His Friars, led by Billy Donovan, took down 2-seed Alabama and 1-seed Georgetown at Freedom Hall in Louisville.

There's a reason I worked Providence into the column here. Most of the talk is that Pitino is going, going, gone to St. John's to coach next season now that the Johnnies fired Mike Anderson. On Sunday Pitino told Steve Serby of the New York Post that St. John's president Brian Shanley is a "superstar." The man has always been a remarkable flirt.

But there are others who believe Pitino will make his return to the Big East at another address — Providence College, where Pitino enjoyed glorious seasons in 1986 and 1987. Pitino has always talked fondly of Providence.

What happens if Providence coach Ed Cooley is named the next coach at Georgetown? Would there will a bidding war on Aisle Three, which would also include Texas Tech, which has reportedly gotten word to Pitino that the Red Raiders want him in Lubbock. (Quick, make a list of Italian restaurants in Western Texas.)

All that good stuff will start to unfold Friday or Sunday or whenever Pitino and Iona exit this tournament. Until then, will Rick Pitino Theater include another shock the world moment?

"Well, I did tell my team this," Pitino said. "I've always said that President Obama was one of the most intelligent presidents we've ever had, and this lends credence to (Obama picking Iona to win two games in Albany and reach the Sweet Sixteen).

"Obviously, we're all big fans of President Obama, and it was really special for him to pick Iona. Obviously, he didn't see Connecticut play. But it was exciting for my guys to hear that as well."

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