St. John's Signs Rick Pitino to Lucrative New Contract After First Sweet 16 Since 1999

Pitino has turned the Red Storm back into a Big East power in his two seasons at the helm.

Pitino has completely turned around the Red Storm. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Just days after he led the St. John's men's basketball team to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 27 years, coach Rick Pitino has been rewarded by the program. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Pitino has signed a new contract with the Red Storm, one that will see him coach the program through the 2029-30 season while also netting him a hefty pay increase as the second-highest paid coach in the Big East, trailing only UConn's Dan Hurley. While the exact number isn't known, it's likely that Pitino is making over $5 million annually, a figure that would make him among the 10 highest-paid coaches in men's college basketball.

Pitino has evolved with the times, turning St. John's into perennial winner

Pitino was hired by the Red Storm in March of 2023. Since that point, he has completely turned around the program, posting consecutive 30-win seasons and gaudy, 18-2 records within Big East play in back-to-back years. After missing the NCAA tournament in four straight years, Pitino has led the Red Storm to two consecutive tourney appearances for the first time since 1998-00.

And Pitino, no stranger to change in college basketball, has evolved with the times. Roster construction used to be conducted mostly through recruiting and developing, but the transfer portal and NIL have flipped that idealogy on its head.

Pitino, at 73 years young, is thriving in the current landscape. After a 31-win season in his first year at St. John's, he jumped into the transfer portal and landed the best class in the country.

The result was the Red Storm's second straight Big East tournament title and the program's deepest March Madness run since 1999.

With some roster turnover entering next season—especially with leading scorer Zuby Ejiofor set to move on to professional basketball—it would appear that Pitino will need to ace the portal once again.

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