NEW YORK – Confetti in the middle of a sold-out Madison Square Garden, a suit-obsessed Rick Pitino was asked about his notable basketball odyssey and the latest Big East Championship.
The 72-year-old Hall of Fame coach declared, bringing the March insanity roar from thousands of St. John fans hanging from all his words.
A hilarious moment of pride and joy, it was easy to forget that Pitino was coaching in Greece five years ago, at the heart of the nationally aired New York City Corner Crown.
Even two years ago, he was still struggling (and of course) in suburban Iona, a mid-term meeting still located under the proverb radar.
And now he’s back to town’s Big Apple and Toast and has been removed from the guest spot for nine days along with his revived team in “Tonight’s Show starring Jimmy Fallon.”
Talk about a dramatic comeback in the second half of overtime.
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“I really feel that adversity is a temporary thing that you can gather,” Pitino told The Associated Press. “I’ve been coaching for over 50 years. You have ups and downs. But that’s what you do with Downs. And that’s what you do with success stories.”
This winter, New York had no greater success stories in college basketball or college basketball than Pitino and fifth-placed Redstorm.
After winning the program’s first Big East regular season title in 40 years and the first conference tournament championship in a quarter century, St. John’s (30–4) is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019.
That made Pitino the first coach to take six schools to Big Dance. Others were Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona.
“I think the common denominator is work ethics and passion. That has never changed. A style of change in play.”
“So you’re always evolving, you’re always adapting. Someone just asked me, “How long will you go?” And right out of my mouth, I said absolutely nothing planned, “I’ll continue coaching as long as I keep learning,” and when I stop learning, stop the willingness to learn, or stuff it with my desire to learn, I think I’ve packed it. ”
In pursuit of a first NCAA tournament win in 25 years, second seed Johnny faces No. 15 seed Omaha on Thursday night in Providence, Rhode Island. They won nine consecutive games.
Another victory will set up a second round matchup for Marquee in the Western Region against seventh seed Kansas or 10th seed Arkansas. Both have been coached by fellow Hall of Fame inductions. Bill Self led the Jayhawks, while John Calipari took over the Razorbacks this season.
Pitino has competed in his 24th NCAA Tournament in 37 seasons. He ranks fifth in Division I history with 884 wins among active coaches, reaching seven Final Fours in three programs. He won the national championships at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013), the only coaches to achieve feats in two schools, after leading Providence to the 1987 Final Four.
However, Louisville’s title was vacant due to an NCAA violation, and the university was fired in 2017 due to another NCAA incident related to the FBI’s investigation into FBI corruption in college basketball recruitment.
The final ruling from the NCAA’s external enforcement division in the FBI case fell in November 2022, exonerating Pitino.
There was also a crime horror case in which Pitino was the victim of his time in Louisville, which revealed his personal indiscretion.
“Humiliation is a big part of my life right now, and it wasn’t always the case,” he said last weekend. “I don’t believe in red, I believe in humility.”
Contaminated by all that trouble, Pitino traveled abroad to continue his coaching with Panathinaikos BC from 2018-20.
This led to a successful three-year stint at Little Iona, just north of New York City, before reaching St. John’s.
A two-year university reconstruction master, Pitino brought a magical touch to Queens and did it immediately.
“We tried to live every day, every day, so that it was the last of our coaching and that would make our program better. Everyone is involved.
“The culture has changed. The appeal of the fans has changed. The marketing and what they did on social media have changed. They had to come 2024-25. And they were really in 2005.
Relying on a relentless pressure defense and a talented trio of Zuby Ejiofor, Kadary Richmond and Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr., Johnny scored 30 wins for the third time in school history. They died shyly for five weeks on November 30th, their 100th birthday, five weeks, on the 30th November, under the well-respected manager Lou Carrenecca, who has won both regular season and tournament titles since 1986.
Their four losses all came from a total of seven points away from home. This is the minimum margin of losses for Division I teams since 1950 with more than four losses.
“They had an incredible year, they dominated our league,” Clayton coach Greg McDermott said after his team overrunned St. John’s in the Big East final. “They’re wearing them over time.”
Pitino was an easy choice for Big East Coach of the Year. He was also a huge hit on screen. Vice Sports went viral after pleading players to overcome adversity not just in basketball but in life, with a rigorous locker room pep talk from “Pitino: Red Storm Rising.”
“We know exactly what passion he brings, night outs, night outs, and every day. He pushes each and every one of us to our limits. He leads us not only from the courts, but from the courts,” Ejofor said.
“Everyone has a taste of what Coach P is like, but you really don’t know what kind of character he has. He’s really soft with me and my teammates, not particularly basketball-related.
Pitino and his wife Joanne have five grown children and 14 grandchildren. They live mostly in their homes outside Westchester, but Pitino said they have spent more time in their Manhattan apartments in the past year and a half than in the past decade. And the former Knicks and Boston Celtics coaches, who grew up in New York, are once again absorbing the excitement of the city surrounding St. John’s.
Hours after his team won the Big East Tournament in the Garden, the Empire State Building Blocks were lit up in school colors: red and white.
“I’m not as surprised as I’m grateful,” Pitino said. “I am grateful for the efforts of the players. I am grateful for the efforts of the assistant coach. I am grateful for the fans to come back in a massive manner. So my gratitude is the best ever. But I try not to be surprised. I am looking forward to winning every day.”
By Mike Fitzpatrick
