Rick Pitino Makes History with St. John’s Basketball Success

QUEENS, N.Y. – Rick Pitino, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach, celebrated a historic season leading the St. John’s men’s basketball program. At his introductory press conference on March 21, 2023, he declared, ‘Raise this roof up. St. John’s is going to be back, I guarantee it.’

Just two years later, Pitino delivered on that promise. Under his leadership, the Red Storm captured both the BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Championships, securing a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team’s 31 victories matched a program record, and their rise to No. 5 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll marked the highest ranking since 1991.

Along with the team’s achievements came personal accolades for Pitino, who received six different Coach of the Year awards this season. These included the prestigious Associated Press National Coach of the Year, the Werner Ladder Naismith National Coach of the Year, and the Henry Iba Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers’ Association.

Pitino’s career spans nearly 50 years, and this achievement represented a significant milestone as he completed a grand slam of major national coaching awards. He first earned national recognition in 1986-87 as the NABC National Coach of the Year after leading Providence to the Final Four.

For the first time in 25 years, the Johnnies achieved multiple milestones, including their first NCAA Tournament win since 2000. Pitino, who now ranks fifth all-time in Division I history with 885 career wins, became the first NCAA Division I coach to guide six different programs to the NCAA Tournament.

On April 4, 2025, Pitino shared the Associated Press National Coach of the Year award with Auburn‘s Bruce Pearl—a unique occurrence in the award’s 58-year history. A few days later, he received the Werner Ladder Naismith National Coach of the Year award in San Antonio during the Final Four weekend, alongside notable Naismith Award winners.

Pitino was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year on March 12, 2025, marking a historic moment as he became the second coach in NCAA history to win a conference coach of the year award at four different schools across four different conferences.

The coaching success extended to his family, as Pitino’s son, Richard, was named Mountain West Coach of the Year. The duo made history by becoming the first father-son pair to receive Coach of the Year honors in the same NCAA Division I season.

Pitino’s impactful presence in the BIG EAST continued, as he became the first coach to lead two different institutions to regular season and tournament titles. His Red Storm added another BIG EAST Championship to his collection, continuing his legacy of success.

Pitino received recognition on April 24, 2025, as the Metropolitan Basketball Writers’ Association designated him the region’s top Division I coach—his first time receiving this honor since 1999. He was also celebrated at St. John's University with the Herbert V. Hess Award during the 79th Annual Athletic Awards Banquet.

Looking ahead, the future appears promising for St. John’s as they prepare for the next season. The team will retain four core players and welcomes nine newcomers, including a highly-ranked transfer portal class, setting the stage for continued success.