Richard Pitino, son of St. John's Rick Pitino, hired as Xavier coach
The younger Pitino was the Mountain West Coach of the Year this season after the Lobos won the conference's regular-season title. He was 88-49 at New Mexico and has an overall mark of 247-186.
'Xavier is one of the great brands in all of college basketball,' Richard Pitino said in a statement. 'It has always been a dream of mine to coach in the Big East. The Cintas Center is going to be rocking. I can't wait to get to work.'
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This will be Richard Pitino's fourth head coaching job. He was at Florida International in 2012-13 before spending eight seasons at Minnesota.
The move means father and son will coach against each other at least twice every season in the Big East. They have faced each other several times before, including this season when St. John's beat New Mexico at Madison Square Garden in November.
Rick Pitino was the 2024-25 Big East Coach of the Year after the 72-year-old Hall of Famer guided the Johnnies to their first outright regular-season conference championship in 40 years.
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Fox Sports
6 days ago
- Fox Sports
UConn's Dan Hurley, St. John's Rick Pitino not interested in Knicks HC job
If the New York Knicks want their next head coach to be one who has Big East ties, they'll have to look for someone other than two of the conference's top current coaches. UConn's Dan Hurley and St. John's Rick Pitino have each turned down interest in the Knicks' head coach vacancy. Hurley had been viewed as a possible frontrunner for the Knicks' head coach position after expressing interest in the Los Angeles Lakers' head coach job last offseason. However, he ended up turning down Los Angeles after receiving an offer, with his ties to the Northeast being cited as a reason why he opted to remain at UConn. "Not another summer of that," Hurley told The Hartford Courant when asked if he had any interest in the Knicks' job. Hurley wound up agreeing to a six-year, $50 million extension with UConn after turning down the Lakers. The Huskies' bid to become the first team to three-peat as national champions in over 50 years fell short, with UConn losing in the Round of 32 last season. Pitino's St. John's squad was one of the roadblocks UConn dealt with along the way as the Johnnies won the Big East regular-season and tournament titles. It marked the first time since 1992 that St. John's had won the regular season title and the first time since 2000 that it had won the Big East tournament title. St. John's runs to both titles captivated New York City and made Pitino one of the most popular figures in the city's sports scene. But Pitino made it clear he didn't want the Knicks job after they fired Thom Thibodeau following their run to the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday, mentioning the enormous expectations the next coach will have to deal with. "Absolutely not," Pitino said when asked during the YES Network's broadcast of Wednesday's game between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians, in which he threw the first pitch. "I think whoever comes in, if he doesn't get to the Finals, it's going to be deemed an unsuccessful season," Pitino added. "So, whoever comes in has got so much pressure on them to take this team to the next level, 'cause that's why they're doing it, obviously, in their minds." Pitino, a 72-year-old New York native, was the head coach of the Knicks for two seasons in the late 1980s (1987-89). New York went 90-74 in Pitino's tenure. Pitino also had a three-plus-year stint as the head coach of the Boston Celtics from 1997-2001 before resigning. As Hurley and Pitino have taken themselves off the board, there are a handful of other notable options for the Knicks in their search to replace Thibodeau. Former Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone opened up as the betting favorite, via DraftKings Sportsbook. Cleveland Cavaliers associate head coach Johnnie Bryant has the second-best odds to become the Knicks' next head coach. Bryant, who was the Knicks' associate head coach from 2020-24, was one of the finalists for the Phoenix Suns' head coach vacancy, but they agreed to a deal to hire fellow Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott on Wednesday. Former Villanova coach Jay Wright has also been a widely speculated candidate for the job. He coached three of the team's top players in college (Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart), lending some credence to the rumors he could be the team's next head coach. But FOX Sports college basketball expert John Fanta doesn't anticipate Wright unretiring to coach the Knicks. "Jay Wright is enjoying red wine, basketball, television and his family," Fanta said on "The Herd." "If he wanted to coach again, he'd be the Villanova coach. "Jay Wright is not going anywhere." The Knicks also have interest in Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported. After capturing the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, Houston isn't interested in letting New York potentially negotiate a deal and trade involving Udoka, per The Athletic. As New York gets in the trenches in its head coach search, the decision to fire Thibodeau still felt a bit of a surprise to many. He helped turn around the Knicks in his five seasons as head coach, making the playoffs four times following an eight-year postseason drought. This past season marked their best playoff run in a quarter-century, with New York reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. Following their second-round upset of the defending champion Celtics, the Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers in six games. Pitino seemed to be among those surprised by the move, too. "I think everybody's kind of shocked," Pitino said. "You don't fire people that take you to the Eastern finals and with the whole town so excited about the team. They partied on 7th Avenue and we're not even in the Finals. So I think everybody's in shock. But rather than pass judgement, Thibs has got three years left. "They made the decision. They've got to live with it. Let's see." Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily ! recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Rick Pitino doesn't want to replace Tom Thibodeau as the next Knicks head coach: 'Absolutely not'
Rick Pitino won't be returning to the New York Knicks. 'Absolutely not,' he said Wednesday night during the New York Yankees' matchup with the Cleveland Guardians, where he threw out the first pitch. While there are a number of reasons why he might be a great fit, Pitino is now officially out of the running. Advertisement The Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday after five seasons with the franchise. Thibodeau was fresh off a trip to the Eastern Conference finals, too, which is a place the Knicks hadn't been since 2000. By all accounts, Thibodeau's time with the Knicks was a success. He just couldn't get them over the final hump and into the Finals. 'I feel bad for Thibs because I think he captured all of New York and built something very, very special,' Pitino said, via SNY. 'A lot of us don't comprehend what happened, but Thibs is going to be well taken care of and he'll move on to other pastures.' Naturally, the move has led to plenty of speculation as to whom the Knicks will hire to replace him. The team is now the only franchise without a head coach, after the Phoenix Suns moved to hire Cleveland Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott on Wednesday. There are plenty of solid names available, like former Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone or ex-Sacramento Kings coach Mike Brown, for example. But others, like Pitino, have also been floated. Advertisement Pitino already worked for the Knicks early on in his career. He was an assistant there for two seasons before jumping into the head job in 1987. He returned to the league nearly a decade later for a short stint with the Boston Celtics. Pitino is now with St. John's, where he's fresh off an NCAA tournament trip and in the midst of a career revival following his tumultuous exit from Louisville. Pitino wouldn't necessarily be a long-term play for the Knicks, considering his age and where he's at in his career, but he's more than proved he's capable of the job throughout his decades in the sport. And, with him right across the river in Queens and the Red Storm already playing their home games in Madison Square Garden, he'd be an easy call to make. But, it sounds like Pitino, 72, is more than happy where he is. 'As long as you're mentally and physically sharp, you do it as long as you can, because coaching is a blessing,' Pitino said, via SNY. 'It's the second best thing to playing. I've been blessed with over 50 years of coaching, and I hope it continues as long as I can do it.' The Knicks will have to look elsewhere.
Newsweek
30-05-2025
- Newsweek
Rick Pitino Doesn't Hold Back About Thunder After NBA Finals Berth
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting to find out who they will play in the NBA Finals. After blowing out the Minnesota Timberwolves by a final score of 124-94 on Wednesday night, the Thunder have punched their ticket to the championship round. Right now, the Eastern Conference Finals between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks stands at 3-2 in favor of the Pacers. However, the Knicks were able to keep the series alive with a blowout win over Indiana on Thursday evening. Regardless of who wins the East, Oklahoma City has to be feeling good about the position it is in. Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28,... Head coach Rick Pitino of the St. John's Red Storm signals to his players in the second half during a college basketball game against the Georgetown Hoyas at the Capital One Arena on January 28, 2025 in Washington, DC. More Photo byFollowing their NBA Finals berth, St. John's head coach and college basketball legend Rick Pitino has spoken out strongly about the Thunder. He is even using them as film for his team, which is a first in his career. Read more: Tyrese Haliburton Sends Bold Warning Before Pacers-Knicks Game 6 In a post on X, Pitino did not hold back from praising Oklahoma City, especially on the defensive end of the court. "It's interesting, in my 40+ years I've never shown clips to my teams of NBA defense," Pitino wrote. "Offensive sets and individual moves, but never defense. Until this past season. We watched the Thunder at least 3x a week. They're switching, loading up to help, and rotations are awesome. And they are still so young!!!" All season long, the Thunder have been dominant defensively. That defense has led to an elite offense as well. Throw in the fact that star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA's MVP award and Oklahoma City has the makings of a championship winner. They simply need to win four more games. Read more: Shocking Contender Named as Landing Spot for Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo During their series against the Timberwolves, the Thunder made Minnesota look lost. They made things very difficult on Anthony Edwards, with the star shooting guard averaging just 23 points per game and shooting 47.1 percent from the floor and 28.2 percent from three-point range. With the NBA Finals set to begin on June 5, Oklahoma City is receiving much-deserved recognition. Pitino's praise is just one of many big names to talk about how special the Thunder have been and how dominant they have been playing. Both the Pacers and New York are quality teams, but if Oklahoma City keeps playing the way it has, neither team can match up. For more Oklahoma City Thunder and general NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
