Rick Pitino will Coach at Boardwalk Hall in 2021

The first year of the MAAC Basketball championships in Atlantic City didn't exactly go as planned, but they are scheduled to be back in 2021.

When they return they will with a very high profile coach on the sideline of one of their schools.

In a very high profile decision, the Iona Gaels have hired Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino to be their next head coach. Pitino was fired by Louisville "with just cause" back in Oct. of 2017 after an FBI investigation.

Pitino is regarded as one of the best college basketball coaches of all-time, with five Final Four appearances, ranking fourth in NCAA history.

He replaces longtime Iona coach, Tim Cluess, who stepped down on Friday due to health reasons. Cluess, 61, had led Iona to six NCAA Tournament appearances since 2012.

Pitino joins a MAAC conference that is filled with many good up-and-coming head coaches, like Greg Paulus, who played at Duke. Shaheen Holloway, who stared at Seton Hall.  Monmouth's King Rice played for Dean Smith at UNC. Baker Dunleavy is the son of former NBA coach Mike Dunleavy.

The MAAC signed a 3-year deal to play it men's and women's championships at Boardwalk Hall, 2021 will be the second year of that agreement.