Family Feud: Pitinos Join Diddles as Only Father-Son Combos Meeting > Once

When Minnesota (coached by son Richard Pitino) opposed Louisville (coached by father Rick Pitino) in their season opener at Puerto Rico, you almost knew the result in advance. But the meeting deserved acknowledgment if only because father-son coaching duels are rare events in NCAA annals. Until this year, the only father-son tandem to oppose each other more than once at the NCAA Division I level was Ed Diddle Sr. (Western Kentucky) and Ed Diddle Jr. (Middle Tennessee State) when they were Ohio Valley Conference rivals.

The Diddle duo combined for 815 victories in their college coaching careers but eight other family combinations boast more triumphs. The Suttons (father Eddie and sons Scott and Sean) are atop this list and surpassed the 1,100-win plateau.

Fathers know best insofar as dads won 16 of the first 18 family-feud games in the wake of Louisville leveling Minnesota, 81-68. Following is a chronological list of the first six coaching matchups involving fathers and sons of Division I schools (father listed first):

Ed Diddle Sr., Western Kentucky (11) vs.
Ed Diddle Jr., Middle Tennessee State (1)

Jan. 30, 1957 (Western Kentucky, 79-72)
March 2, 1957 (Western Kentucky, 86-82)
Jan. 23, 1958 (Western Kentucky, 69-67)
Feb. 18, 1958 (Middle Tennessee State, 81-75)
Jan. 19, 1959 (Western Kentucky, 89-65)
Feb. 28, 1959 (Western Kentucky, 110-85)
Feb. 6, 1960 (Western Kentucky, 109-89)
Feb. 27, 1960 (Western Kentucky, 109-80)
Dec. 1, 1960 (Western Kentucky, 70-67)
Feb. 27, 1961 (Western Kentucky, 84-73)
Jan. 20, 1962 (Western Kentucky, 89-69)
Feb. 13, 1962 (Western Kentucky, 87-81)

Ray Meyer, DePaul (1) vs.
Tom Meyer, Illinois-Chicago Circle (0)

Dec. 1, 1981 (DePaul, 78-53)

Butch van Breda Kolff, Hofstra (0) vs.
Jan van Breda Kolff, Cornell (1)

Jan. 12, 1993 (Cornell, 70-56)

Hugh Durham, Georgia (1) vs.
Doug Durham, Georgia Southern (0)

Nov. 28, 1994 (Georgia, 87-57)

Nolan Richardson Jr., Arkansas (1) vs.
Nolan Richardson III, Tennessee State (0)

Nov. 17, 2000 (Arkansas, 90-68)

Rick Pitino, Louisville (2) vs.
Richard Pitino, Florida International/Minnesota (0)

Dec. 19, 2012 (Louisville, 79-55)
Nov. 14, 2014 (Louisville, 81-68)

NOTE: NAIA affiliate Quincy College (coached by father Sherrill Hanks) lost at Samford (coached by son Mike Hanks), 99-92 in overtime, on December 21, 1982.