LEAD TO SUCCEED

Winning is all there is, according to Rick Pitino, the scrappy Boston Celtics Coach and target of many media attacks over the years. Though he talks about how he "gets" his players to be successful, most of the program is about how the author survives the grueling fishbowl that coaching is at the professional level. He doesn't come right out and say it, but the impression here is that Pitino is basically on his own, beleaguered and under-appreciated by fans and the media alike. You're only as important as your last win, he says, and even then the outcome may be due to factors totally beyond the coach's control. It's a tough story that isn't helped by the cliché quality of the leadership examples offered throughout the program and Pitino's continue-to-march speaking style. An interesting program, but ultimately for Rick Pitino fans only. T.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]