Pitino leads St. John's to first Big East title

Rick Pitino does not see his return to college basketball as a redemption story. After leading St. John’s to its first Big East Tournament championship in 25 years, he expressed his views during an interview on ESPN's “The Pat McAfee Show.” He stated, “I really don’t believe in the word ‘redemption’ because those who judge you really don’t know the facts.” Pitino was fired from Louisville in 2017 amid a federal investigation linked to college basketball corruption. He has always maintained his innocence about the allegations against him, including one about a $100,000 payment to a recruit's family. In November 2022, a review process exonerated him. He acknowledged his role as the head coach, saying he was responsible for the team's actions. Since his firing, Pitino coached in Greece and later at Iona before being hired by St. John’s in March 2023. He has rejuvenated the program, leading it to an 18-2 record in the conference, a regular-season championship, and a second seed in the NCAA Tournament. St. John’s will play No. 15 Omaha on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. Pitino criticized the NCAA enforcement staff for their slow decisions on cases, saying it took five years for his exoneration. He believes that he might have ended his career overseas but is now coaching successfully. He has a record of taking six teams to the NCAA Tournament and has won national championships with Kentucky and Louisville, although the latter title was later vacated. This season, St. John’s had a strong 30-4 record, building a competitive team largely through transfers. Pitino spoke about adapting to changes in NCAA rules regarding player payments, noting that basketball may benefit more from future revenue-sharing due to the absence of a football program at St. John’s.