Basketball coaching legend Rick Pitino is headed back to the Big East after leaving the Iona Gaels. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Pete Thamel report that the 71-year-old Hall-of-Fame coach has agreed to a six-year deal with St. John’s as their next head coach. Pitino’s tenure with the Red Storm could potentially extend beyond the initial six-year period if he decides to stay longer, which aligns with his recent statement before Iona’s NCAA Tournament game where he expressed his desire to coach for another ten years.
Pitino’s decision to leave the Gaels somewhat contradicts his statement made during the same press conference where he hinted that he would be staying in New Rochelle, N.Y. When asked about the rumors of his possible departure from Iona, Pitino had said that “it’s going to take a special place for me to consider leaving.”
Pitino has had an illustrious coaching career with six Final Fours, two of which were vacated due to NCAA violations. He won a national title with Kentucky in 1996 and with Louisville in 2013, although the latter championship was later vacated. Throughout his career with the Cardinals, Gaels, Wildcats, Hawaii, Boston University, and Providence, Pitino has won numerous conference championships and awards. He was also named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the Year for two consecutive years.
Before joining St. John’s, Pitino had a career-long 16-year stay with Louisville from 2001 to 2017, during which he achieved a great deal of success. He has also had runs with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks in the NBA.
St. John’s will be Pitino’s seventh Division I head coaching gig. He had previously been linked to another high-profile vacancy at Georgetown, but the school eventually hired former Providence head coach Ed Cooley.
Read: Four Star Recruit Discusses Louisville
Read: Frisbee Dog Takes Dump On Floor At YUM Center
Read: 14 Reasons Cal Needs To Go
Read: Player Spotlight: El Ellis
Read: 6 Things Slowly Killing College Basketball
