Pitino family makes NCAA Tournament history together

The Pitino family made history in March Madness with New Mexico's recent win. Richard Pitino is the head coach of the New Mexico Lobos, who upset the Marquette Golden Eagles. They won the game 75-66 on Friday, allowing them to move to the next round of the tournament. This victory makes Richard and his father, Rick Pitino, the first father-son duo to each win an NCAA Tournament game in the same year. Rick Pitino is currently coaching St. John's, which won against Omaha in a comeback victory just a day before New Mexico's match. Richard has followed in his father's footsteps, building a successful coaching career over the past 20 years. Before taking over at New Mexico in 2021, he coached at the University of Minnesota for eight seasons. While there are many father-son coaching pairs in college basketball history, none have both achieved tournament wins in the same season until now. The Pitinos are also the only father-son duo currently coaching in the NCAA. The Lobos will play against No. 2 seed Michigan State on Sunday. Meanwhile, St. John's faces Arkansas, led by renowned coach John Calipari, on Saturday. Rick Pitino has a long history of coaching rivalries with Calipari, having faced him multiple times during March Madness. Despite their competitive relationship, Rick mentioned that they are not close friends, although they share a mutual respect for each other and the game.