Rick Pitino Offers Two-Word Answer Regarding Potential Interest in Knicks Job

It's an open-and-shut case, folks.

Rick Pitino, Michael Kay, and Paul O'Neill on June 4, 2025. / YES Network / X /Screenshot

Alright, well! At least that's settled!

Rick Pitino, head coach for the St. John's Red Storm, was at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night to throw out the first pitch when he was asked perhaps the only topical question for a basketball coach in the city of New York: Are you interested in filling the coaching vacancy left by Tom Thibodeau, whom the New York Knicks canned on Tuesday afternoon?

Per Pitino: "Absolutely not."

Well, there you have it; it's an open-and-shut case, folks.

Take a peek at that hilariously brief response below.

Rick Pitino does not want the Knicks job. pic.twitter.com/lXWJ1WhD8g

— Jake Kosack (@JakeKosack) June 5, 2025

Pitino is cruising with the Red Storm, so it would be a bit of a shock to see him want the gig, anyway. He did show some sympathy for Thibs's situation prior to the game, though, when he noted he "feels bad" for the 67-year-old coach.

"I feel bad for Thibs because he captured all of New York, built something very, very special," he said. "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."

That's for sure. Thibs will probably find another gig in no time, while the Knicks will have plenty of candidates other than Pitino to choose from.

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