ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Pit will always be in Pitino, but Pitino won’t be in The Pit. At least not as the University of New Mexico head basketball coach. Now that he’s leaving for Xavier University, who will be getting fitted for that cherry blazer?

505 Sports Venture Foundation Founder Kurt Roth is an advisor for the coaching search. He said UNM Athletics Director Fernando Lovo and his team are acting fast. The transfer portal is open so they need a coach before other schools pick up the good options, and so they can start building the team.

Roth said we could see a hire as early as next week. Then our coach can go to the Final Four next weekend to start rounding out their staff.

“I don’t want to talk specifically because some of them are working at other jobs, but the casual basketball fan will know quite a few of the names the die-hard fan will be impressed,” Roth said.

Roth said they’re looking for a coach who is a decisive leader and can develop talent. It would be unusual for UNM to get a top 100 player out of high school or the transfer portal because of cost.

“To be able to pick and choose student athletes who fit a certain role and then can adapt to the style and culture of the team is what we need in a coach,” he said.

The amount of money a student athlete can make now is limitless, as college sports has turned into a billion-dollar business. As the money rakes in, athletes are setting their sites on who pays more instead of staying loyal to a team or fan base.

Roth said UNM doesn’t need to compete with deep pocketed universities like Texas.

“We need to be in the same room, but we need to compete with Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State, the teams that are now leaving the conference, Grand Canyon, those are our competitors, and we need to be in the game,” he said.

Scroll social media and you’ll find vastly different reactions from Lobo fans. Some celebrate Pitino and what he’s done for the university, others are bitter about him leaving.

Roth said Pitino called him before 4:00 Tuesday afternoon to talk about next year’s roster, then called an hour later saying Xavier offered him a job, and he was going to take it.

“He was clear he was interviewing, he was clear he was looking, he was very forthright about it,” Roth said.

He also said the Lobos are still in a good position after making back-to-back NCAA tournaments.

“I’m grateful for what he’s done,” Roth said.