Rick Pitino is the next St. John’s basketball coach after being hired on a six-year deal, which sent the college hoops world into a wild scene.
Success has not been easy to come by in the past couple of decades for St. John’s basketball. Mike Anderson, who was let go after the 2022-23 season by the Red Storm, is the first head coach since Steve Lavin (2010-15) to have a winning record and only the second since Mike Jarvis, who left the program in 2003.
Now it’s up to legendary — and infamous — head coach Rick Pitino to try and change that.
On Monday with the Iona Gaels now eliminated from March Madness, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Pete Thamel reported that Rick Pitino has been hired with a six-year contract to be the next head coach of St. John’s basketball.
ESPN Reporting with @PeteThamel: Iona’s Rick Pitino has agreed on a six-year deal to become St. John’s coach. Pitino’s taken three schools to the Final Four, won NCAA titles at Kentucky and Louisville and now makes move to restore the Red Storm to Big East prominence. pic.twitter.com/V3BQocSSdG
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 20, 2023
Pitino spent the last three seasons at Iona, accruing a 64-22 overall record and two NCAA Tournament appearances after his unceremonious departure from Louisville that led to him briefly coaching in Greece prior to landing with the Gaels.
Rick Pitino hired by St. John’s basketball: College hoops world reacts
Given his immense success as a head coach combined with his many transgressions at various stops, the college basketball world was buzzing with Rick Pitino now heading to St. John’s.
Rick Pitino is back in the Big East at St. John's
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) March 20, 2023
Ed Cooley left Providence for Georgetown
UConn, Creighton and Xavier are all still dancing with a real chance to get to the Elite Eight.
Big East basketball is alive and well. What a time to be a fan of the league.
Rick Pitino will be coaching inside MSG again. Awesome for the sport and, obviously, for St. John's and the Big East. https://t.co/J2pCrokEPJ
— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) March 20, 2023
Rick Pitino stalking the sidelines of MSG is going to be a sight for sore eyes
— Tate Frazier (@tatefrazier) March 20, 2023
Has anyone had a crazier head coaching resume than Rick Pitino? 🤯
— Jim Weber (@JimMWeber) March 20, 2023
➡️ Providence
➡️ N.Y. Knicks
➡️ Kentucky
➡️ Boston Celtics
➡️ Louisville
➡️ Puerto Rico National Team
➡️ Panathinaikos B.C. (Greece)
➡️ Greece National Team
➡️ Iona College
➡️ St. John's pic.twitter.com/lOQwCuls1I
St. John's move to hire Rick Pitino today is comparable to the Knicks' decision to hire Pat Riley in 1991.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 20, 2023
A historic day for New York sports.
And for the Big East. https://t.co/j6T0BKykuz
Rick Pitino walking into his presser pic.twitter.com/nHCy4T3WxU
— FFTony (@ItsJustFantasy_) March 20, 2023
Rick Pitino is walking through that door and he’s gray and old https://t.co/bzGMinPPMK
— Jason Schwartz (@JasonSchwartz) March 20, 2023
Pitino himself also offered up a comment on Twitter in the wake of the news.
To my players, the last three years. All I can say is you know how much I love you
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 20, 2023
Follow up, I'm not sad it ended. I'm so grateful it happened
— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 20, 2023
Pitino is returning to the Big East after spending time there with Louisville early in his 16-season tenure with the Cardinals and even earlier in his career when he spent two years with Providence.
Though there will be jokes about his scandals at Louisville and otherwise, the fact of the matter is that St. John’s just hired perhaps the biggest head coach in many decades for the program. Success should follow as the 70-year-old takes over the Red Storm — the hope is that it’s not tarnished like his vast accomplishments at Louisville ended up being.
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