Hall of Fame head coach Rick Pitino is leaving Iona University and will take over the basketball program at New York City’s St. John’s University. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Pitino agreed to a six-year deal.
Coaching St. John’s will mark Pitino’s return to Big East after more than 30 years. He previously served as a head coach with Providence College between 1985 and 1987, making one NCAA Division I Final Four appearance with the Friars.
St. John’s made Pitino the focus of the head coaching search after the university fired Mike Anderson in early March. They believe the two-time national title winner can get their basketball program back to winning ways and make the Red Storm a perennial fixture at NCAA tournaments once again. St. John’s missed out on the NCAA tournament in each of the past four seasons.
Pitino, on the other hand, welcomed an opportunity to work at a big school again. He expects to get the necessary backing to be able to compete for the Big East championship and potentially add another national title to his resume. He was 64–22 in the past three seasons with Iona, making two NCAA Division I tournaments.
During his college coaching career, Pitino won national titles with Kentucky and Louisville. He also coached in NBA on two occasions, serving as the head coach of the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics.
