Students vs. Pitino: How Rick’s former assistants have done against him

This weekend, Steve Masiello looks to become just the fifth former Rick Pitino assistant to defeat his one-time boss, as Manhattan visits Iona in a pair of crucial Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference contests. Pitino has already seen one of his prior protégés get the better of him this season, as Kevin Willard and Seton Hall defeated the Gaels in November in the Hall of Famer’s long-awaited return to the college game.

Tubby Smith and Mick Cronin are the only other former deputies to emerge victorious over their mentor, who is 42-11 lifetime against all future head coaches from his rich tree, with each result listed below. Records reflected are those against Pitino:

Mick Cronin (5-7)

January 3, 2004: Lost (Louisville 91, Murray State 69)

January 31, 2007: Lost (Louisville 69, Cincinnati 53)

January 1, 2008: Won (Cincinnati 58, Louisville 57)

February 21, 2009: Lost (Louisville 72, Cincinnati 63)

January 24, 2010: Lost (Louisville 68, Cincinnati 60)

March 10, 2010: Won (Cincinnati 69, Louisville 66, Big East tournament second round)

February 16, 2011: Won (Cincinnati 63, Louisville 54)

February 23, 2012: Won (Cincinnati 60, Louisville 56)

March 10, 2012: Lost (Louisville 50, Cincinnati 44, Big East tournament championship)

March 4, 2013: Lost (Louisville 67, Cincinnati 51)

January 30, 2014: Won (Cincinnati 69, Louisville 66)

February 22, 2014: Lost (Louisville 58, Cincinnati 57)

Scott Davenport (0-1)

December 10, 2006: Lost (Louisville 76, Bellarmine 64)

Billy Donovan (0-7)

December 27, 1994: Lost (Kentucky 116, Marshall 75)

December 19, 1995: Lost (Kentucky 118, Marshall 99)

January 29, 1997: Lost (Kentucky 92, Florida 65)

February 15, 1997: Lost (Kentucky 85, Florida 56)

December 13, 2003: Lost (Louisville 73, Florida 65)

December 11, 2004: Lost (Louisville 74, Florida 70)

March 24, 2012: Lost (Louisville 72, Florida 68, NCAA Tournament West Regional final)

Kevin Keatts (0-1)

December 14, 2014: Lost (Louisville 68, UNC Wilmington 57)

Steve Masiello (0-3)

November 11, 2012: Lost (Louisville 79, Manhattan 51)

March 20, 2014: Lost (Louisville 71, Manhattan 64, NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional first round)

February 12, 2021: Lost (Iona 85, Manhattan 67)

Dan McHale (0-1)

December 17, 2016: Lost (Louisville 87, Eastern Kentucky 56)

Marvin Menzies (0-1)

December 22, 2007: Lost (Louisville 70, New Mexico State 65)

Richard Pitino (0-2)

December 19, 2012: Lost (Louisville 79, Florida International 55)

November 14, 2014: Lost (Louisville 81, Minnesota 68)

Kareem Richardson (0-2)

December 4, 2013: Lost (Louisville 90, UMKC 62)

December 22, 2015: Lost (Louisville 75, UMKC 47)

Tubby Smith (5-7)

January 24, 1996: Lost (Kentucky 82, Georgia 77)

February 14, 1996: Lost (Kentucky 86, Georgia 73)

January 14, 1997: Lost (Kentucky 86, Georgia 65)

February 1, 1997: Lost (Kentucky 82, Georgia 57)

March 9, 1997: Lost (Kentucky 95, Georgia 68, SEC tournament championship)

December 29, 2001: Won (Kentucky 82, Louisville 62)

December 28, 2002: Lost (Louisville 81, Kentucky 63)

December 27, 2003: Lost (Louisville 65, Kentucky 56)

December 18, 2004: Won (Kentucky 60, Louisville 58)

December 17, 2005: Won (Kentucky 73, Louisville 61)

December 16, 2006: Won (Kentucky 61, Louisville 49)

December 20, 2008: Won (Minnesota 70, Louisville 64)

Reggie Theus (0-1)

December 23, 2014: Lost (Louisville 80, Cal State Northridge 55)

Kevin Willard (1-6)

December 29, 2007: Lost (Louisville 67, Iona 36)

January 5, 2011: Lost (Louisville 73, Seton Hall 54)

January 28, 2012: Lost (Louisville 60, Seton Hall 51)

March 7, 2012: Lost (Louisville 61, Seton Hall 55, Big East tournament second round)

January 9, 2013: Lost (Louisville 73, Seton Hall 58)

February 23, 2013: Lost (Louisville 79, Seton Hall 61)

November 30, 2020: Won (Seton Hall 86, Iona 64)

Ralph Willard (0-3)

December 21, 1990: Lost (Kentucky 84, Western Kentucky 70)

February 15, 1992: Lost (Kentucky 93, Western Kentucky 83)

December 7, 2003: Lost (Louisville 56, Holy Cross 40)

*Travis Ford, who played for Pitino at Kentucky, also owns a win against him, when UMass defeated Louisville in 2006.