Lon Kruger Over Rick Pitino: Mix Up at Airport in 2004 Gives UNLV Best Coach for Job

To compare Lon Kruger to Rick Pitino isn't fair. Lon Kruger has class, character and fortitude. And to be honest, Rick Pitino has none of the above. The fact that the UNLV boosters mishandled wining and dining the Pitinos was the best thing to ever happen to the UNLV program. Lon Kruger was hired soon after and the program has been run with integrity and transparency ever since.

Kruger will not let any one person be bigger than the team. The stifling defense Kruger teaches, makes UNLV non reliant on the overbearing star player. That is why when Beas Hamga committed to UNLV in 2007, it didn't seem to fit. Hamga was being trumpeted as the next great NBA prospect. It just didn't feel right.

Soon after Hamga arrived it was apparent he was not committed to Lon Kruger's style of play and he was out. The best recruit in the country and Kruger did not give in to the temptation of giving Hamga the star treatment.

On the other side of the equation we have Rick Pitino. A man rivals.yahoo.com refers to in are area of recruiting as having "slimy recruiting tactics." What are they referring to? Pitino recruited an AAU player named Marcus Teague, a five star rivals rated recruit from Indianapolis, Indiana.

Previous to Pitino landing Teague as a recruit, he hired an assistant, Shabaka Lands who just happened to be the AAU coach of Marcus Teague. Is the move above board? Whatever makes you sleep at night Mr Pitino.

Lon Kruger and Rick Pitino are similar in one aspect. They both talk of the good of the team. Kruger backs his words with actions. Pitino at least claims to make decisions for the good of the team. Pitino should have three I's in his last name, he thinks of himself first so much. Ask the bitter fans in Kentucky.

UNLV has beaten Louisville in Freedom Hall and at the Thomas and Mack

Last New Years Eve when the UNLV Runnin Rebels beat Pitino's Cardinals on his home court, Pitino left the court at Freedom Hall without shaking Lon Kruger's hand. Pitino later would say he was arguing with the official and it was unintentional. He never did make a public apology.

Lon Kruger for his part shrugged it off and let it go. The difference between the two is condensed in that one act of immaturity by Pitino. When Kruger defeated Pitino on UNLV's home floor, Pitino did acquiese and shake Kruger's hand.

Pitino's character vs Lon Kruger's character

Next the issue of character and trust. Yes I had to go there. UNLV could not have withstood the humiliation that Pitino put the Louisville fans and administration through. If this had happened at UNLV it would have been devastating.

Pitino had claimed during an impromptu news conference that Karen Syphers claims of rape and physical abuse were "total fabrication" on a day "when Ted Kennedy died." The entire news conference can be viewed on epn.go.com. If you want to see him try to shove the issue under the rug look here.

If you view the video of Karen Syphers, she accuses him of much more than an indiscretion. The police did not press charges against Pitino for any of the claims Syphers made. Syphers did attempt to blackmail Pitino and in all likelihood embellished her story but the fact remains, Pitino did have sex with Syphers, admitted it and did bring disgrace to his Louisville.

The facts are clear, UNLV has made the right choice. It is great that now Kruger and the Rebels are nationally ranked but the fact that Kruger has done this the right way, with character and the fortitude to run a clean program, is the greatest accomplishment of all.

sources:

www.espn.go.com
www.rivalsyahoo.com