St. John's University Athletics
Rick Pitino Named BIG EAST Coach of the Year
3/12/2025 12:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Pitino becomes second NCAA Division I Coach to win the honor at four different schools
NEW YORK– After returning the No. 6/5 St. John's men's basketball team to national prominence with a historic 2024-25 regular season, Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Pitino was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year, the conference office announced on Wednesday.
Pitino, in just his second season at the helm in Queens led the Red Storm to its first outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship in 40 years and matched a program record 27 regular season wins. The Johnnies lost just four games by a combined seven points the lowest margin of a defeated by an NCAA Division I program with four or more losses since 1950.
Pitino becomes the second coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball history joining Dana Altman, as the only coaches to win the conference coach of the year award at four different schools and in four different conferences. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer previously garnered six league coach of the year honors at Kentucky (1991, '96), Louisville (2005), Iona (2022-23) and now St. John's (2025). Wednesday's honor marks his first time winning the award in the BIG EAST following his 12th regular season in the league.
On Tuesday, Pitino's son, Richard Pitino was named Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading the New Mexico Lobos to a 25-6 overall record and a conference regular season title of his own. While father and son duos have both earned conference coach of the year honors, this is believed to be the first time in NCAA Division I history that a father and son have earned the recognition in the same season.
After tallying a 20-win season and leading the Johnnies to their first BIG EAST Tournament semifinals appearance since 2000 in his first year, Pitino, as he has done his entire career turned it up a notch in year two. The New York native boasts a .771 winning percentage in his second year two with a program and has won four regular season titles in his second season at an institution (Boston University, Kentucky, Iona and St. John's). The BIG EAST regular season crown, which St. John's locked up on March 1 in a 71-61 victory over Seton Hall marked the third of Pitino's career in the league. He captured the title twice while at Louisville in 2009 and 2013. Pitino is aiming for his 15th conference tournament title this week and his fourth in the BIG EAST at Madison Square Garden winning three with Louisville (2009, '12, '13).
Pitino returned five players from last year's team and welcomed in eight newcomers and developed three players- RJ Luis Jr. (All-BIG EAST First Team), Zuby Ejiofor (All-BIG EAST First Team) and Kadary Richmond (All-BIG EAST Second Team) into All-BIG EAST selections, marking the first time St. John's landed multiple players on the league's first team since 1986. Luis became just fifth player to be named the conference's most valuable player under Coach Pitino and the first in the BIG EAST. The junior joins Jamal Mashburn (Kentucky-1993), Tony Delk (Kentucky- 1996), Ron Mercer (Kentucky-1997) and Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona) 2022 as the only players to be named player of the year under Pitino.
St. John's went undefeated at home winning all 18 contests for the first time since 1931-32, when the Redmen went 16-0 in home contests under Head Coach James "Buck" Freeman. Under Pitino, the Johnnies have won 11-straight regular season games at Madison Square Garden including a perfect 9-0 this season, their second longest streak in program history. At Carnesecca Arena, the squad has won 14-straight games, dating back to the beginning of the 2023-24 season, which ties for the eighth longest streak in program history.
The Red Storm have been ranked for eight consecutive weeks dating back to Jan. 20 and have climbed as high as No. 6 in the Associated Press (AP) poll and fifth in the USA Today Coaches' poll, both marking the program's highest mark in the 21st century. The Red Storm hold a 4-1 record against ranked opponents tallying its highest win against top-25 teams since 2010-11.
In BIG EAST play, Pitino led the Red Storm to an 18-2 record and the program's second-ever outright conference regular season title. St. John's last matched last year's UConn team for the most league victories in a single-season in conference history. Pitino's regular season championship marked the 13th of his career and became the first-ever coach to capture the crown at five different schools.
One of the most decorated collegiate coaches in the sport, Pitino recently surpassed revered coaches Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith on the all-time wins list sliding into seventh place with 881 career victories. The lead man became the first coach to ever lead three different schools to the Final Four, where he has made seven appearances and two National Championships at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013). On Sunday when the NCAA Tournament Bracket is unveiled, Pitino can become the first NCAA Division I coach to lead six different schools to the Big Dance seeking his 24th total appearance. Among active coaches, Pitino holds the third highest winning percentage in the NCAA Tournament with a 54-21 (.720) mark.
In 12 seasons as a coach in the BIG EAST, the longtime play caller holds a 302-116 record (.726) and a 141-71 mark in league competition. Pitino recently moved into the top-six in all-time BIG EAST victories, recently surpassing St. John's legendary Head Coach Lou Carnesecca to move into fifth place. The winningest active coach in college basketball is five wins shy of tying Mike Brey (Notre Dame) and John Thompson III (Georgetown) for fourth most all-time.
Pitino becomes the fourth coach in St. John's history to be named BIG EAST Coach of the Year joining three-time winner Lou Carnesecca (1983, '85, '86), Brian Mahoney (1993) and Mike Anderson (2021).
Pitino has led St. John's to a top-seed in the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time since 1986 and will take on the winner of eighth-seeded Providence and ninth-seeded Butler on Thursday at 12 p.m. at Madison Square Garden, where the league will host its conference tournament for the 43rd consecutive year.
Pitino, in just his second season at the helm in Queens led the Red Storm to its first outright BIG EAST Regular Season Championship in 40 years and matched a program record 27 regular season wins. The Johnnies lost just four games by a combined seven points the lowest margin of a defeated by an NCAA Division I program with four or more losses since 1950.
Pitino becomes the second coach in NCAA Division I men's basketball history joining Dana Altman, as the only coaches to win the conference coach of the year award at four different schools and in four different conferences. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer previously garnered six league coach of the year honors at Kentucky (1991, '96), Louisville (2005), Iona (2022-23) and now St. John's (2025). Wednesday's honor marks his first time winning the award in the BIG EAST following his 12th regular season in the league.
On Tuesday, Pitino's son, Richard Pitino was named Mountain West Coach of the Year after leading the New Mexico Lobos to a 25-6 overall record and a conference regular season title of his own. While father and son duos have both earned conference coach of the year honors, this is believed to be the first time in NCAA Division I history that a father and son have earned the recognition in the same season.
After tallying a 20-win season and leading the Johnnies to their first BIG EAST Tournament semifinals appearance since 2000 in his first year, Pitino, as he has done his entire career turned it up a notch in year two. The New York native boasts a .771 winning percentage in his second year two with a program and has won four regular season titles in his second season at an institution (Boston University, Kentucky, Iona and St. John's). The BIG EAST regular season crown, which St. John's locked up on March 1 in a 71-61 victory over Seton Hall marked the third of Pitino's career in the league. He captured the title twice while at Louisville in 2009 and 2013. Pitino is aiming for his 15th conference tournament title this week and his fourth in the BIG EAST at Madison Square Garden winning three with Louisville (2009, '12, '13).
Pitino returned five players from last year's team and welcomed in eight newcomers and developed three players- RJ Luis Jr. (All-BIG EAST First Team), Zuby Ejiofor (All-BIG EAST First Team) and Kadary Richmond (All-BIG EAST Second Team) into All-BIG EAST selections, marking the first time St. John's landed multiple players on the league's first team since 1986. Luis became just fifth player to be named the conference's most valuable player under Coach Pitino and the first in the BIG EAST. The junior joins Jamal Mashburn (Kentucky-1993), Tony Delk (Kentucky- 1996), Ron Mercer (Kentucky-1997) and Walter Clayton Jr. (Iona) 2022 as the only players to be named player of the year under Pitino.
St. John's went undefeated at home winning all 18 contests for the first time since 1931-32, when the Redmen went 16-0 in home contests under Head Coach James "Buck" Freeman. Under Pitino, the Johnnies have won 11-straight regular season games at Madison Square Garden including a perfect 9-0 this season, their second longest streak in program history. At Carnesecca Arena, the squad has won 14-straight games, dating back to the beginning of the 2023-24 season, which ties for the eighth longest streak in program history.
The Red Storm have been ranked for eight consecutive weeks dating back to Jan. 20 and have climbed as high as No. 6 in the Associated Press (AP) poll and fifth in the USA Today Coaches' poll, both marking the program's highest mark in the 21st century. The Red Storm hold a 4-1 record against ranked opponents tallying its highest win against top-25 teams since 2010-11.
In BIG EAST play, Pitino led the Red Storm to an 18-2 record and the program's second-ever outright conference regular season title. St. John's last matched last year's UConn team for the most league victories in a single-season in conference history. Pitino's regular season championship marked the 13th of his career and became the first-ever coach to capture the crown at five different schools.
One of the most decorated collegiate coaches in the sport, Pitino recently surpassed revered coaches Adolph Rupp and Dean Smith on the all-time wins list sliding into seventh place with 881 career victories. The lead man became the first coach to ever lead three different schools to the Final Four, where he has made seven appearances and two National Championships at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013). On Sunday when the NCAA Tournament Bracket is unveiled, Pitino can become the first NCAA Division I coach to lead six different schools to the Big Dance seeking his 24th total appearance. Among active coaches, Pitino holds the third highest winning percentage in the NCAA Tournament with a 54-21 (.720) mark.
In 12 seasons as a coach in the BIG EAST, the longtime play caller holds a 302-116 record (.726) and a 141-71 mark in league competition. Pitino recently moved into the top-six in all-time BIG EAST victories, recently surpassing St. John's legendary Head Coach Lou Carnesecca to move into fifth place. The winningest active coach in college basketball is five wins shy of tying Mike Brey (Notre Dame) and John Thompson III (Georgetown) for fourth most all-time.
Pitino becomes the fourth coach in St. John's history to be named BIG EAST Coach of the Year joining three-time winner Lou Carnesecca (1983, '85, '86), Brian Mahoney (1993) and Mike Anderson (2021).
Pitino has led St. John's to a top-seed in the BIG EAST Tournament for the first time since 1986 and will take on the winner of eighth-seeded Providence and ninth-seeded Butler on Thursday at 12 p.m. at Madison Square Garden, where the league will host its conference tournament for the 43rd consecutive year.
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