Latest news with #NaismithNationalCoachoftheYear
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
St. John's Sends Strong Rick Pitino Message After Historic Season
The St. John's Red Storm are fresh off a historic season with head coach Rick Pitino at the helm. Pitino led St. John's to the NCAA Tournament, ranked as a No. 2 seed. The Red Storm began March Madness with a victory over Omaha in the first round and followed that with a second-round loss. Advertisement St. John's fell to John Calipari and the Arkansas Razorbacks, ending a memorable year for the program. Despite the brief run in the tournament, Pitino was highlighted as one of the best head coaches in college basketball. The legendary coach won the Naismith National Coach of the Year and was a co-winner of the Associated Press Coach of the Year award, alongside Auburn's Bruce Pearl. After the season, St. John's recapped an incredible year by Pitino and his team. "A year to remember with our Coach," the official social media account of the St. John's Red Storm posted. The 2024-25 college basketball season will certainly be marked in the record books for Rick Pitino and the St. John's Red Storm. Advertisement St. John's undefeated 12-0 record at Madison Square Garden was a program first since 1931-32. The Johnnies also won the Big East Tournament title for the first time since 2000. St. John's Red Storm head coach Rick Canha-Imagn Images Last season, St. John's was led by Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr., who had the best season of his three-year college basketball career, posting 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The Red Storm may have suffered an early loss in the NCAA Tournament, but they've certainly turned the corner in their pursuit to become one of the best college basketball programs in the country. Related: Big John Calipari Announcement Made on Friday Related: Dawn Staley Announces Exciting Personal News on Thursday
Miami Herald
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Columbus' Moran and Riviera Prep's Shahbaz are Dade Boys' Basketball Coaches of the Year
At Columbus, Andrew Moran supervised not just the extension of one of the dominant state championship stretches ever by a Miami-Dade County team, but a historic run to a national championship as well. And at Riviera Prep, challenges to their own state championship streak emerged long before they even first stepped on the court to prepare for the 2024-25 season. Bulldogs coach Anthony Shahbaz kept them on course and helped them reach the pinnacle once again. And so, Moran and Shahbaz are once again the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Boys' Basketball Coaches of the Year. Moran earns the honors for Classes 7A-5A after leading the Explorers to their fourth consecutive state championship. Columbus is only the second Miami-Dade County team to ever accomplish that feat, joining Miami Norland and stands one title away from tying the state record for longest state championship streak. The Explorers made history less than a month later, though, becoming the first South Florida school to win the Chipotle Nationals tournament and claim a national championship. Moran led the Explorers to a 145-34 record during his six seasons at Columbus and earned Naismith National Coach of the Year honors this past season. After guiding one of the most dominant squads in county history, featured by Duke signees Cameron and Cayden Boozer, Moran was officially introduced this past week as one of the new assistant coaches at the University of Miami. Shahbaz, meanwhile, led Riviera Prep to its third consecutive state title. Months earlier, though, Shahbaz was faced with the challenge of adjusting without his top player, Dante Allen, a four-star prospect who transferred to Montverde Academy. Then the Bulldogs had to overcome multiple injuries including the loss of 7-foot center Gus Guimaraes. Led by sibling guards Myles and Mason Fuentes and sophomore prospect Jeremy Jenkins, Riviera Prep navigated through its tough region and back to Lakeland to keep its title streak alive. With the aforementioned trio returning next season, the Bulldogs have a great chance to extend their streak to four.
Miami Herald
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Columbus boys' basketball coach officially hired to join Miami Hurricanes coaching staff
As the Columbus boys' basketball coach Andrew Moran spent the past four seasons winning state championships and eventually a national champion. At his new post, Moran will try to help revive the University of Miami program and perhaps help them one day compete for a national title again. On Friday morning, over a month after it was reported that Moran would be joining new Hurricanes coach Jai Lucas' staff, UM made the official announcement that the four-time state championship coach is heading to Coral Gables. Moran will join UM not only as an assistant coach but as director of player development. 'When building my staff, I wanted to prioritize hiring coaches with a proven track record of success,' Lucas said in a statement released Friday by UM. 'Andrew has consistently achieved winning at every level of his coaching career, spanning from high school to grassroots. His exceptional ability to teach the game and background in skill development make him a valuable asset to our program.' Moran led the Explorers to a 145-34 record during his six seasons at Columbus and 112-13 over the past four seasons since seniors and Duke-bound stars Cameron and Cayden Boozer started playing for Columbus. Moran was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year recently after guiding Columbus to its fourth consecutive state championship and a No. 1 national ranking. Moran has won five state titles in his career, having also won a championship as the coach at Miami Christian prior to his stint at Columbus. Last week, the Explorers cemented that ranking by becoming the first South Florida boys' basketball team to win the prestigious Chipotle Nationals tournament. Columbus stands to remain No. 1 nationally by both ESPN and MaxPreps, and claim the first national title ever for a South Florida team. It was the second national tournament title for Columbus during Moran's tenure as the Explorers also won The Throne tournament two years ago during the Boozers' sophomore season. 'It's obviously amazing and an incredible feeling,' Moran told the Miami Herald after Columbus' win over Dynamic Prep on April 5 in the Chipotle Nationals final. 'It's the cherry on top. These kids won everything they set their minds to win.' Moran joins the Hurricanes at a time where he will attempt to help Lucas rebuild a program that reached the Final Four two seasons ago, but this past season finished with a dismal 7-24 record and went 3-17 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Lucas has already begun to rebuild Miami's roster with recent transfer portal acquisitions such as Miami native and former Indiana power forward Malik Reneau, point guard Tre Donaldson (Michigan), center Ernest Udeh (TCU) and shooting guard Tru Washington (New Mexico).
