There is only one Rick Pitino. In the wake of him having had tremendous success this past season at St. John's, as well as at Iona before that, the former disgraced head coach at Louisville is back on top of the college basketball world. Pitino guided the Red Storm to a No. 2 seed and a 30-win season, their best year in a quarter century. The AP Coach of the Year has big plans coming down the pipe.
In his conversation with John Fanta of FOX Sports, he mentioned a potential home-and-home with his former employer. A St. John's-Louisville home-and-home would add even more intrigue to these Power Five programs in the non-conference. Fanta also touched on Pitino's son Richard taking over at Xavier and one of his former proteges in Kevin Willard taking over at Villanova as well in the Big East.
No matter where Pitino goes, he always carries a little bit of Louisville with him. He did win the 2013 NCAA Tournament and has the shoulder blade tattoo to prove it! Of course, scandal mired his time at U of L. It is the third basketball that does not have the nicest things to say about the guy, joining the likes of the Kentucky Wildcats and the Boston Celtics. At least St. John's seems to be in his corner...
By listening to this conversation between Pitino and Fanta, it is clear that Pitino is having a great time.
My 1-on-1 conversation with Rick Pitino after he won AP Coach of the Year. On St. John’s 31-5 season, Bryce Hopkins and Joson Sanon, what’s next in building the 2025-26 roster, negotiations with Louisville on a potential home-and-home, Richard to Xavier, Willard to Nova and more. pic.twitter.com/tRu3gI5OE9
— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) April 4, 2025
The amount of boo birds that will be had in the Louisville home date would have to be deafening.
Rick Pitino is trying to set up a St. John's-Louisville home-and-home
Pain heals. Chicks did scars. Glory lasts forever. For better or worse, Pitino is the name I think of when I think about Louisville basketball. On the gridiron side of things, I usually default the absolutely delightful Bobby Petrino. Over the years, Louisville athletics has been steeped in one seedy person after another. Flip a coin between Petrino and Pitino and see what side picks up the most slime on it.
That being said, I will always be in favor of major programs in major leagues trying to do big things. Getting regular-season matchups we do not often see is not only great for the teams themselves, but the television networks airing the contests and the fans who get to watch these games. Some programs try to skate by in playing the softest schedules as humanly possible to collect more wins.
Honestly, in a weird way, I kind of respect Pitino for wanting to go there with Louisville. He may think there are no hard feelings, but they most certainly do exist. For him to be doing this and coaching at such a high level at this stage of his career is nothing short of impressive. He left Louisville in the worst place possible as a program, but time heals all wounds. Then again, this is college basketball.
Could you imagine Pitino coaching on the sidelines and wearing earplugs like he is John Rocker?