Richard Pitino relishes challenges ahead at Xavier
CINCINNATI (AP) — Richard Pitino said he needed the right situation to come along for him to leave New Mexico.
He ended up getting one in an unlikely spot.
Pitino was introduced as Xavier's new coach on Tuesday. With Xavier's past track record of hiring coaches who were former assistants or who had ties to the program, Pitino thought his chances of getting a call from athletic director Greg Christopher would be slim until it happened last week.
'It always works out this way. You may have a list of some jobs you may think you may get a call on. And then out of nowhere comes one where, like, 'wow, this would be amazing.' And that was Xavier,' Pitino said during a news conference.
It is the first time since Thad Matta's arrival in 2000 that Xavier has hired a coach without previous ties to the program. Sean Miller, who left to accept the Texas job on March 17, was promoted in 2004 after Matta left for Ohio State. Miller led the program for five seasons before leaving for Arizona, and then came back for three seasons in 2022.
Chris Mack and Travis Steele were also former assistants. Ironically, Pitino was quickly hired after Mack announced he would remain at the College of Charleston.
Pitino said his father, St. John's coach Rick Pitino, encouraged him to stay at New Mexico until Xavier entered the picture, even if it meant being in the same conference and playing each other twice a year.
'He saw the way the community embraced me in Albuquerque, how much we were winning, and he saw how happy I was. When Xavier called, he changed his tune,' Richard Pitino said. 'I think that the fit is really good. I just resonate with this type of community and very, very comfortable with it. I can tell you there was no bigger fan of taking Xavier than my dad.'
Pitino returns to the Big East — where he was a student at Providence College and an assistant at Louisville — after four years at New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. New Mexico went 27-8 this season before it was eliminated by Michigan State 71-63 in the second round.
The 42-year old Pitino was the Mountain West Coach of the Year this season after the Lobos won the conference's regular-season title. He went 88-49 at New Mexico and has an overall mark of 247-186.
Christopher said the reason why Pitino stood out as a candidate was how he rebounded at New Mexico after being fired at Minnesota. Pitino became a head coach in the Big Ten at age 30. He led the Golden Gophers for eight seasons — including an NIT championship in his first season in 2014-15 as well as two trips to the NCAA Tournament — but was fired after two straight losing campaigns.
'It's very clear he's hungry and incredibly competitive. Some of what fuels that drive is how he's been humbled. That was an important factor to me,' Christopher said of Pitino. 'How you handle adversity is really telling and we all face challenges. Handled the right way, adversity makes you better. And that is what's happened with Richard.'
Pitino is looking to bring the same aggressive style on both sides of the court that he had at New Mexico. It's also not much different from what Miller ran as both coaches like to run.
On offense, the Lobos averaged 81.1 points, which led the Mountain West and was 26th in Division I. They averaged 16.2 fast break points, third-best in Division I.
Defensively, New Mexico forced 15.2 turnovers per game, 14th in Division I.
'It's not real hard to sell a vision of we don't want to run a bunch of set plays and walk the ball up the court. Not as many set plays, and honestly it's similar to what they ran with coach Miller ran here in the past. We talked a lot about it,' Pitino said. 'It's hard, but it's a fun way to play.'
Pitino's first task will be rebuilding Xavier's roster, which has only two scholarship players remaining after Miller's departure and the opening of the transfer portal. Pitino is bringing most of his staff from New Mexico
'It's very challenging to build a whole roster. It's way more doable now in the current landscape than ever before, but we're going to be patient,' he said.
___
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball
recommended
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
39 minutes ago
- New York Post
Daredevil pooches vie for the title of top dog at the annual World Dog Surfing Championships
Charlie the yellow lab likes surfing so much he'll grab his surfboard and run toward the water, so much so that his humans sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chitchat with friends on the beach. On Saturday, Charlie is set to join about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders to vie for top dog in the World Dog Surfing Championships outside San Francisco. The annual contest draws thousands of spectators to Pacifica State Beach. Advertisement 7 Coconut is pushed through the breakers during the World Dog Surfing Championships Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Pacifica, California. AP Participating pooches compete against similarly sized peers for a chance to appear in the finals. Additional heats feature multiple dogs surfing tandem on one board and dogs riding tandem with humans. Judges scrutinize how long dogs remain on boards, how long they can hold their balance and whether they perform any tricks like turn around while riding waves. Advertisement Charlie, aged 10, is due to enter the extra-large single surfer heat. He'll also ride tandem with two other dogs, on what their owners call 'The Dream Team.' 'He loves the crowd,' said his owner, Maria Nieboer. 7 Rusty the surfing minpin catches a wave in the second heat of small dogs during the World Dog Surfing Championships on Aug. 3, 2024, in Pacifica, California. AP Advertisement 7 Carson Surf Dog jumps off his board after catching a wave during the World Dog Surfing Championships Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Pacifica, California. AP In the ocean, Charlie and Maria's husband, Jeff Nieboer, prepare for waves together. When Jeff sees a good wave, he turns the board around and tells Charlie to 'get ready.' At that signal, Jeff pushes the board forward and Charlie scrunches down and rides the wave as long as he can. He can even steer it, at times leaning on the board to ride toward Maria waiting on shore. Advertisement 7 Jeff Nieboer pushes Charlie Surfs Up through the breakers during the World Dog Surfing Championships Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Pacifica, California. AP 7 Steve Drottar helps Rosie catch a wave during the World Dog Surfing Championships Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Pacifica, California. AP He doesn't have to be fed treats for any of this. 'Charlie does what Charlie wants to do once we're in the water,' Jeff said. Contest winners get medals and bragging rights. 7 Don Horn helps Petey catch a wave during the World Dog Surfing Championships Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Pacifica, California. AP 7 David Fasoli, left, and Mike Wall help Iza Surf Dog catch a wave during the World Dog Surfing Championships Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in Pacifica, California. AP Charlies 'Dream Team' compatriot, Rosie, will be in four heats. Advertisement The 4.5-year-old yellow lab's owner, Steve Drottar, said Rosie's 'stoked' after they go surfing, which they do four to five times a week at home in Santa Cruz. 'It's like, hey, we actually did something today, right? We did something together as a team,' Drottar said. 'And the fact that you can do something as a team with your dog creates a different bond than you have when you just take your dog for a walk.' Advertisement He can tell Rosie feels a sense of accomplishment after surfing because she's extra happy and wags her tail extra hard. She snuggles up to Drottar even more than normal. 'It's like we go home on the couch and it feels like she's saying, 'Thank you,'' Drottar said.
Boston Globe
39 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Miyu Yamashita struggles on 24th birthday and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to one shot, Rockland's Megan Khang three back
Advertisement That put Yamashita — who turned 24 on Saturday — at 9-under 207. 'I'll be just looking at what went wrong and what went right and analyzing the day and make the improvements that hopefully will lead to a better round tomorrow,' Yamashita said. Kim put on a fabulous display as the wind got stronger with a 5-under 67. She had a chance to tie for the lead when she hit a 335-yard drive on the 18th hole with a helping wind and fast links turf. She went just long, used her putter from off the green and took three putts for par. Even so, it puts her in the final group with Yamashita as Lim goes for her second major, having won the Advertisement 'Honestly I'm not focused on the leader. I focus on my process and my shot and then my position,' Kim said. And it's not just Kim with a chance. Yamashita's struggles brought several possibilities in the final round, including the always entertaining Charley Hull. She shot a 66, going from 11 shots behind to within three shots of the lead as Hull goes for her first major. Charley Hull's moving day charge in less than 60 seconds ⏱️ — AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen) 'I just kind of enjoy chasing,' Hull said of playing from behind. 'It's more fun that way.' Andrea Lee had a 67 and was two shots behind, followed by Hull, Rockland native Megan Khang (68), Rio Takeda (74), and Minami Katsu, whose 65 matched the low score of the tournament. Khang, who had six birdies and two bogeys, will be paired with Hull for the final round. Rockland's Megan Khang had six birdies and two bogeys in a round of 4-under 68 that has her in a tie for fourth, three shots off the lead at the Women's British Open. Kin Cheung/Associated Press 'I think there will be a little bit of extra pressure on whoever is the 54-hole leader,' Lee said. 'Tomorrow is going to be pretty tough. Anything can happen out there. I think anyone within five shots has a chance at this championship honestly, so I'm just going to try and keep my head down and stick to my own game plan and try not to look at the leaderboard.' The Women's British Open had the look of a Japanese duel, with Yamashita three shots ahead of Takeda and no one else closer than seven shots. But it was a struggle for Yamashita early with her putting, and then one of the straightest drivers lost her way. She steadied herself with an approach — from the rough, of course — into 3 feet for birdie on No. 11, and a tee shot that settled 3 feet away for another birdie on the par-3 12th. Advertisement But playing out of the fescue caught up with her, and except for that 40-foot par putt on the 17th to keep her in the lead, it was a struggle to get done with the round. She's not backing down! What a moment for Miyu Yamashita to maintain her lead 👏 — AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen) Takeda wasn't much better, with two bogeys in four holes at the start and two more bogeys over the final five holes. Lottie Woad, the rising English star who Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf, is likely to end the major championship season without a title. She shot 74 and fell nine shots behind. Korda has gone 13 tournaments without winning and risks losing her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul depending on the final round. The LPGA Tour already is off to a historic start by not having a multiple winner through 19 tournaments, a streak that could continue. Only Kim and Takeda from the top 10 on the leaderboard have won this year.
San Francisco Chronicle
39 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Rookie Agustín Ramírez hits two solo homers as the Marlins beat the Yankees 2-0
MIAMI (AP) — Rookie Agustín Ramírez homered twice for the only runs of the game and the Miami Marlins beat the New York Yankees 2-0 on Saturday. Eury Pérez pitched six innings of two-hit ball as the Marlins won their fourth straight and clinched the series against the Yankees following Friday's 13-12 series-opening win. After experiencing problems with his pitchcom device that caused three brief delays in the first inning, Pérez (4-3) struck out six and walked three in his 88-pitch outing. Miami has won six consecutive series and is 29-14 since June 13. The Marlins struck quickly when Ramírez connected off Yankees starter Cam Schlittler in the first. Ramírez drove a fastball 421 feet into the left-center field seats for his 16th homer. Ramírez hit another solo drive against Schlittler (1-2) in the fourth. Making his fourth major league start since being promoted from Triple-A on July 9, Schlittler allowed two runs and four hits while striking out six in five innings. Saturday's announced attendance of 34,645 surpassed the Marlins' previous season-home high of 32,299 in Friday's opener against New York. Key moment Pérez struck out Ryan McMahon and retired Anthony Volpe on a groundout after he allowed a one-out double to Ben Rice and walked Paul Goldschmidt in the fifth. Key stat Marlins left fielder Kyle Stowers had his sixth assist of the season when he threw out Trent Grisham at the plate as he attempted to score from second on Giancarlo Stanton's single in the first. Up next RHP Luis Gil will make his season debut when he starts the series finale for the Yankees on Sunday. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year has been sidelined since spring training because of a lat strain. The Marlins will go with RHP Edward Cabrera (4-5, 3.35). ___
