Former Louisville coach Rick Pitino is back in coaching, having landed in Greece on Wednesday morning with a new job he's starting immediately, according to reports.

"I have signed with Panathinaikos and I am ready for the challenge," Pitino told Eurohoops.net. "... I'm excited to be here. It's the first time in 41 years as a coach that I will take up a team in the middle of the season."

Pitino's new team Panathinaikos has a game scheduled for Friday, and Pitino noted upon arrival that he had a practice scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Word got out last week about Pitino's opportunity and interest in the coaching job with the pro team in Greece. He told theCourier Journal at the time that he would finalize his decision after speaking with family, though it sounded like a formality.

"I miss coaching terribly," Pitino said. "I still have a lot of bitterness toward Louisville and to the Southern District of New York, and I think this will make it go away quite a bit."

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Pitino tweeted Monday thanking team owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos for the "unique opportunity" and that he was "fired up to help."

Panathinaikos, which competes in the continent's top-tier EuroLeague, represents Pitino's first full-time coaching job since being fired by Louisville prior to the 2017-18 season after the Cardinals' program was embroiled in the FBI's investigation into college basketball.

The Greek club's roster includes former Florida guard Nick Calathes, former Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas and former Kansas guard Keith Langford.

Gentry Estes: 502-582-4205; gestes@courierjournal.com; Twitter: @Gentry_Estes. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: www.courier-journal.com/gentrye.