| Advertisement |
April 6 (UPI) -- Iona coach Rick Pitino challenged his son -- Minnesota coach Richard Pitino -- to a men's college basketball matchup based on a bet between the two coaches during WrestleMania 36. Rick posted a photo of three of his grandkids Saturday on Twitter at the start of the sequence, writing that they were ready for WrestleMania. The three children in the photo held signs supporting specific wrestlers, including Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan and Becky Lynch.
Advertisement
"If Brock Lesnar wins, you guys play at Iona next year," Rick tweeted to Richard. "If Drew McIntyre wins, we'll play at the 'Barn.'"
Richard asked Rick to swap the betting terms, with the game being played at Iona if McIntyre wins and at Minnesota in Lesnar wins.
McIntyre beat Lesnar in WrestleMania 36's main event Sunday at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla. There was no live audience at the event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
According to the result of the bet, Richard will take his Minnesota men's basketball squad on the road to face his dad's Gaels in 2021 at Hynes Athletics Center in New Rochelle, N.Y.
"It will be nice to have Richard in New York for Thanksgiving," Rick tweeted Sunday, before posting a music video for Frank Sinatra's New York, New York.
Iona hired Rick Pitino, 67, in March. He hasn't coached in college basketball since being fired in 2017 by Louisville. Richard Pitino, 37, has coached Minnesota since 2013. He previously coached at Florida International University.
Rick Pitino last faced his son when coaching Louisville in 2014. The Cardinals beat the Gophers 81-68. Rick's Cardinals also beat Richard when he was coaching Florida International in 2012.
