A coach can be a lot of things. A teacher, a leader, a father figure, and a role model to name a few. Or in the case of Rick Pitino, a business partner. The Louisville Cardinals basketball coach has teamed up with former Kentucky Wildcats Jamal Mashburn and Walter McCarty to start Fast Break Doughnuts LLC of Lexington. They plan to open 17 Dunkin’ Donuts in the Central Kentucky area in the next few years, and the first one will open in May in Lexington.

Doing business together is nothing new for Rick Pitino and Jamal Mashburn. From the Lexington Herald-Leader:

In 2000, an investor group including Mashburn, Pitino and Avare completed the purchase of 70 percent of Toyota on Nicholasville and the Lexus Store of Lexington on U.S. 27 in Nicholasville.

Two years later, the trio picked up Ron McCauley as a business partner and bought Toyota of Richmond. McCauley eventually bought out his partners. He sold the dealership in 2007.

Other restaurant ventures for Mashburn, Pitino and Avare include 35 Outback Steakhouses throughout California. Mashburn and Avare, along with McCarty, who is an assistant coach at U of L and played under Pitino with the Boston Celtics, are partners in a company that owns and operates 28 Papa John’s pizza restaurants in six states.

Another former Wildcat, Ron Mercer, has been included in some deals with Jamal Mashburn, but it doesn’t look like he’s gettin down this time. Maybe it has something to do with Mercer being indicted for that strip club incident last summer, or maybe he’s busy enough down at the houseboat shop.

Pitino group to be Dunkin’ Donuts. Courtesy of the Lexington Herald-Leader

Tags: Rick Pitino, Walter McCarty, Jamal Mashburn, University of Kentucky, Dunkin’ Donuts