Former Louisville Head Coach Rick Pitino Hired at St. John's

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Former Louisville men's basketball head coach Rick Pitino is back into high-major coaching.

St John's announced Monday that they have hired Pitino, who has spent the last three seasons with Iona College, to be their next head coach. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel and Adrian Wojnarowski, it's a six-year deal for the 70-year-old Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer.

"One of my great coaching memories was having the distinct privilege of coaching against Lou Carnesecca and St John's, a Hall of Fame coach and historic program that I have always respected," Pitino said in a statement. "It is surreal to now have this opportunity to bring St John's back to prominence. I'm honored, humbled and grateful to Fr. Shanley, Bill Janetschek and Mike Cragg for making me feel so special."

Pitino guided Iona to a 64-22 record in three years at the helm, including two appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 and 2021. He guided the Gaels to MAAC Championships both seasons, while winning the regular season titel in 2022. Prior to being hired by Iona in March of 2020, Pitino spent two seasons overseas in Greece, where he coached the EuroLeague's Panathinaikos B.C. partially for the the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

In his 16 years as the head coach at Louisville from 2001 to 2017, Pitino guided the Cardinals to a 416-143 record, three Final Fours and the 2013 national championship. 123 wins, three losses, as well as two Final Four appearances and the national title were later vacated by the NCAA as a result of the Andre McGee & Katina Powell sex scandal.

The University of Louisville fired Pitino, as well as longtime athletic director Tom Jurich, back in October of 2017 in the wake of the college basketball corruption scandal uncovered by the FBI and the Southern District of New York the month prior.

Over the course of his 35 seasons as a collegiate coach, he has an overall record of 834-293, and was the first coach in NCAA history to guide three different schools to the NCAA Final Four (Providence - 1987, Kentucky - 1993, 1996, 1997) as well as the first to win an NCAA Championship at two different schools (Kentucky - 1996). He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

(Photo of Rick Pitino: Thomas Joseph - USA TODAY Sports)

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