WATCH: Frank the electrician saves the day after NCAA Tournament malfunction
Late in the second half of Friday’s NCAA Tournament game between Iona and UConn, a net had to be replaced in the final seconds. The delay caused a timeout — and that’s when a hero swooped in to save the day.
“So, this is Frank,” TBS announcer Spero Dedes said. “He’s working on the netting here. He’s the house electrician.”
The broadcast captured the moment the world met Frank the Electrician.
Frank sprung into action to fix the net with 3:02 to play as UConn held a 20-point lead over Iona. The broadcast captured the entire sequence as Frank replaced the old net with a new one. His efforts didn’t go unnoticed, either.
“We thank Frank for working as diligently and as quickly as he can,” Dedes said. “I think he’s doing great.”
“I’d like to have him come to my house and hang my Christmas lights next year,” said Dedes’ broadcast partner, Debbie Antonelli. “He’s doing a pretty good job.”
UConn eventually got the 87-63 victory to advance to the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament thanks to a huge performance from Adama Sonogo. He had 28 points and 13 rebounds — including a huge second half — to lead the Huskies to the blowout victory. Now, they turn their attention to the Round of 32 against St. Mary’s on Sunday. Jordan Hawkins was pretty quiet most of the day, but still managed to put up 13 points despite a rough shooting day, going just 3-for-11 from the field.
For Iona, it’s officially the offseason after a 27-8 campaign in Pitino’s third year at the helm. That means the questions will continue about whether Rick Pitino will still be the Gaels’ head coach next year. Rumors have swirled for the last couple weeks about Pitino, specifically when it comes to the openings at Georgetown and at St. John’s.
St. John’s parted ways with Mike Anderson after the losing in the Big East Tournament and Pitino’s name came up right away. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported the Red Storm has already done its homework on the 70-year-old Pitino.
“Iona’s Rick Pitino is expected to be a primary candidate to be [Anderson’s] replacement,” Rothstein reported March 10. “The school has spent the last few weeks vetting Pitino’s potential candidacy for the job.
Now, the Gaels are out of the NCAA Tournament, and it could be decision time for the former Kentucky and Louisville coach.