St. John's University Athletics
PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES: Rick Pitino Introductory Press Conference
St. John’s University introduced Rick Pitino as the men’s basketball head coach on Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden
St. John’s Head Coach Rick Pitino
On his mindset as the new coach at St. John’s…
“I think one of the keys of coaching, it’s not only a strategy or motivation, it is really getting players that fit your system. I need guys that can shoot the basketball, not fatigue, get after it defensively. It’s about evaluating the right players. We are probably going to have to bring in six to eight guys on this basketball team, and that’s going to take a lot of work.”
On if he thought he would ever be back coaching in the BIG EAST…
“No, I didn’t think it was possible. I wasn’t exiled away, but nobody really wanted to deal with hiring me at that point. … I was very, very proud of the things we have accomplished. My first call was to [New York Islanders President of Hockey Operations and General Manager] Lou Lamoriello this morning. I looked back on Greece and it sort of me gave me a new basketball life. When I went to Iona, I said that Iona was going to be my last job. The reason I said that is, who is going to hire a 70-year-old? It took [St. John’s University President] Father Shanley to do it. If I wasn’t a Providence Friar, he wouldn’t have ever even considered it. I’m excited about it.”
On what motivates him to still coach in his 70s…
“I wear a shirt called PHD, all the time. I don’t have one, but it stands for Passionate, Hungry and Driven. Been that way all my life. I get that expression from a very astute financial advisor named Mario Gabelli. … I asked him, ‘where he gets his talent from? What school? University of Chicago, Princeton?’ He said, no I just look for PHD. … I just have a passion, hunger and drive to excellence on the basketball court, to teach my players more than just basketball, but how to excel in life. We took a three-star player from Archbishop Malloy at Louisville and made him into a two-time All-American. That’s Russ Smith. I’m so proud of that young man, part of a National Championship team. I want to do the same thing at St. John’s that I have done to every place that I have been. Change lives, makes lives better, help the whole community get behind the team to win, and win in a big way.”
On the roster…
“The one thing that I want to be honest with is that a lot of players probably won’t be back on this team, because they are probably not a good fit for me. With me, I think my players love playing for me. Even from Mark Jackson, Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. I spoke with Oak last night, they loved playing for me with the Knicks. It takes a certain type of a basketball player to play for me. He’s got to be a total, over-the-top in love with the game of basketball. If you’re not, it’s a bad fit with me. … There will be a lot of players that will move on to, I hope, greener pastures. Joel [Soriano] is the type of person that I want to build around and that is why I asked him to come today. I have to meet some of the other young men, but there will be other guys that don’t fit. It will be a round peg in a square hole and it won’t work.”
On how he is going to recruit New York kids to stay home…
“Some kids want to go away in college, I did. Al Skinner and I wanted to play with [Julius Erving]. Some kids want to stay home, some want to go away, you need to give them the opportunity. Not only does St. John’s play at Madison Square Garden, but St. John’s represents something really special to every New York kid. I used to watch Sonny Dove, Joe Dupre, Carmine Calzonetti, Frank Alagia, I coached against Mark Jackson and Walter Berry in the BIG EAST Tournament. There are so many unbelievable St. John’s players that did stay home, obviously Chris Mullin, one of the best of all time. We have to convince them, but you can’t convince all of them and you have to mix it up. On my Iona team, I had three players from Florida, three players from Texas, Missouri, and then I had four players from Africa. You have to get the right mixture, the perfect chemistry to have a strong brand and a strong culture. We will hit the streets very hard in the near future.”
On what’s needed to build a winning program…
“It’s what Lou [Carnesecca} said, get players. … New Yorkers are a special breed. We’re New York Strong. You have to understand New York and the whole culture of it. We’ve got to get players that are committed to winning and if you get those players, then you win. I’ve had them at Kentucky, Louisville, Boston University and Providence College, I’ve had it everywhere. I was very fortunate to get the athletes that had built a culture of winning. It’s not going to be difficult. There is no difference between St. John’s to Connecticut, St. John’s to Marquette, St. John’s to Xavier. St. John’s is one of the legendary names in college basketball. Has it fallen on tough times? Yes, it has, but now we’re ready to fall on great times. Raise this roof up, because St. John’s is going to be back, I guarantee that.”
On full-circle moment of returning to New York…
“It is. … I do things a little different than most coaches. … I’m a true basketball junkie. For two years, when I was without basketball, I played golf and it told me to get back in the game. I have come full circle.”
On vision of the basketball program…
“Father Shanley has pledged to build something really special at St. John’s, and I know he will do it. My confidence in him is off the charts, because everyone at Providence reveres him. … He’ll build something special. I’m going to build something special in between the lines and in the community with all the St. John’s fans. Father is going to build the facilities and the academic excellence, because he did it at Providence and there is not a doubt in my mind that he will do it again.”
On the opportunity at St. John’s…
“I say this to every recruit. … I never ask a recruit ‘who else is recruiting you?,’ and they say ‘how come?’ I’ll never say a negative word about another coach and I’ll never knock another school. I have too much respect for the people I coach against and too much respect for the people we play each and every night. The greatest, most humbled when he lost is right here in the first row [points to Lou Carnesecca]. Probably because he didn’t lose much, but all of us, as young coaches, learned so much from Coach Carnesecca. … Everybody loved him and everybody revered him. We all take a page out of his book. I don’t worry about what people say or think, my job is to build men, build character in them, make them raise their level, make them reach their potential and that’s what it’s all about as a coach. Get the team to reach their potential in life and between the lines as well.”
Senior Center Joel Soriano
On being a major part of Coach Pitino’s plan to build the program…
“It’s amazing. With the caliber of a coach that he is, the aura that he brings, for him to tell me that he wants me to a big part of what he wants to build here, it’s an honor, a dream that I’ve always had. I’m just happy. Words can’t explain it.“
On how he will continue to be a leader…
“I’m just trying to take it all in and be humble. Whatever kids come in and whoever stays with [the program], we are just trying to build a winning program, a winning attitude. We’re just trying to win, that’s all we really want to do here. If that takes me playing my role, I’m going to do whatever Coach [Pitino] needs for us to win.“
On deciding to return to St. John’s…
“I sat down and weighed all my options to see what it would look like. I personally felt like I wasn’t ready for the [professional] level. I wasn’t where I wanted to be. When Coach [Pitino] came in, he talked to me, told me about what he has planned for me, what he has in store. It’s going to take a lot of work. He told me he is going to get me to where I want to be. … He trusts me, I trust him. It’s a win, win.”
On Coach Pitino’s style of play…
“It’s very fast paced, high-tempo. Defensively, he is heavy on pressing and speeding other teams up. That’s nothing that I’m not used to, that’s how we played last year. It’s going to be fun.”
On how St. John’s has supported him…
“I love St. John’s. The fans here, the alumni, the people that work at the school, all the people here, they always give me so much love and support. I want to give back, my first two years haven’t gone the way I wanted to go. This year I want to make it count. I want to give back and be remembered for something great here.”
On how his first meeting with Coach Pitino went…
“He mostly asked me about me. He wanted to know about who I was as a person, my family life. We didn’t get into basketball until a little later in the conversation. He told me how he sees himself. He told me who he is and what he sees in me. He’s very passionate about basketball. He wants to win. He has this love for the game that he can’t even explain. He wants his players to be a spitting image of him. He told me if we all have that passion and drive for the game, we will reach heights that we never thought we could reach.”
On how he thinks Coach Pitino can develop his game…
“Coach Pitino coached a lot of college and professional players that are playing in the NBA or overseas. … He knows what it takes and how to get [players] there. I believe he can get me there. I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work, I’m just ready to work.”
St. John’s University President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“There was one phone call that really clarified things for me. It was from Billy Donovan. He called me and said, I really think you should hire Rick Pitino. He didn’t talk about the wins. He talked about the impact that coach had on his life. … It’s the impact on our players lives that’s the most important thing for me in picking a coach. Yes, I want to win, but the young men who will work and play under Rick Pitino, he is going to be the biggest influence on their lives. As an educator, what I care most about is what kind of human beings these guys become. … I believe that Rick will not only bring a winning culture to St. John’s but he will be a transformative figure in the lives of our student-athletes. I think that is the most valuable quality that Rick Pitino brings to St. John’s. … It is for this particular reason that I am thrilled to introduce the next men’s basketball coach at St. John’s University, Rick Pitino.”
BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman
On new Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“Coach Pitino, on behalf of the BIG EAST, I want to extend our congratulations to you on your return. We are so excited to be adding to the ranks of our coaching fraternity. Seven final fours and two national championships. … You are a master of the game by any standard. We all know that mediocrity on the hardwood is an unacceptable outcome for you. His New York roots make him a great match for New York’s team.”
Former St. John’s Head Coach and Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“Rick Pitino is one of the best coaches in the history of the game. He will be a great addition to the coaching legacy here at St. John’s, following in the footsteps of Buck Freeman, Joe Lapchick and Frank McGuire. I think he is in the top-10, perhaps even in the top-five list of coaches in the last 50 years.”
St. John’s University Director of Athletics Mike Cragg
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“This is about a marriage between winning and doing the things the right way. We are going to elevate all of New York City together. Coach, I welcome you, I thank you and look forward to be a great partner with you. This school is a great place to be, I know it firsthand for the four years I have been here. It is about the people.”
On his mindset as the new coach at St. John’s…
“I think one of the keys of coaching, it’s not only a strategy or motivation, it is really getting players that fit your system. I need guys that can shoot the basketball, not fatigue, get after it defensively. It’s about evaluating the right players. We are probably going to have to bring in six to eight guys on this basketball team, and that’s going to take a lot of work.”
On if he thought he would ever be back coaching in the BIG EAST…
“No, I didn’t think it was possible. I wasn’t exiled away, but nobody really wanted to deal with hiring me at that point. … I was very, very proud of the things we have accomplished. My first call was to [New York Islanders President of Hockey Operations and General Manager] Lou Lamoriello this morning. I looked back on Greece and it sort of me gave me a new basketball life. When I went to Iona, I said that Iona was going to be my last job. The reason I said that is, who is going to hire a 70-year-old? It took [St. John’s University President] Father Shanley to do it. If I wasn’t a Providence Friar, he wouldn’t have ever even considered it. I’m excited about it.”
On what motivates him to still coach in his 70s…
“I wear a shirt called PHD, all the time. I don’t have one, but it stands for Passionate, Hungry and Driven. Been that way all my life. I get that expression from a very astute financial advisor named Mario Gabelli. … I asked him, ‘where he gets his talent from? What school? University of Chicago, Princeton?’ He said, no I just look for PHD. … I just have a passion, hunger and drive to excellence on the basketball court, to teach my players more than just basketball, but how to excel in life. We took a three-star player from Archbishop Malloy at Louisville and made him into a two-time All-American. That’s Russ Smith. I’m so proud of that young man, part of a National Championship team. I want to do the same thing at St. John’s that I have done to every place that I have been. Change lives, makes lives better, help the whole community get behind the team to win, and win in a big way.”
On the roster…
“The one thing that I want to be honest with is that a lot of players probably won’t be back on this team, because they are probably not a good fit for me. With me, I think my players love playing for me. Even from Mark Jackson, Patrick Ewing and Charles Oakley. I spoke with Oak last night, they loved playing for me with the Knicks. It takes a certain type of a basketball player to play for me. He’s got to be a total, over-the-top in love with the game of basketball. If you’re not, it’s a bad fit with me. … There will be a lot of players that will move on to, I hope, greener pastures. Joel [Soriano] is the type of person that I want to build around and that is why I asked him to come today. I have to meet some of the other young men, but there will be other guys that don’t fit. It will be a round peg in a square hole and it won’t work.”
On how he is going to recruit New York kids to stay home…
“Some kids want to go away in college, I did. Al Skinner and I wanted to play with [Julius Erving]. Some kids want to stay home, some want to go away, you need to give them the opportunity. Not only does St. John’s play at Madison Square Garden, but St. John’s represents something really special to every New York kid. I used to watch Sonny Dove, Joe Dupre, Carmine Calzonetti, Frank Alagia, I coached against Mark Jackson and Walter Berry in the BIG EAST Tournament. There are so many unbelievable St. John’s players that did stay home, obviously Chris Mullin, one of the best of all time. We have to convince them, but you can’t convince all of them and you have to mix it up. On my Iona team, I had three players from Florida, three players from Texas, Missouri, and then I had four players from Africa. You have to get the right mixture, the perfect chemistry to have a strong brand and a strong culture. We will hit the streets very hard in the near future.”
On what’s needed to build a winning program…
“It’s what Lou [Carnesecca} said, get players. … New Yorkers are a special breed. We’re New York Strong. You have to understand New York and the whole culture of it. We’ve got to get players that are committed to winning and if you get those players, then you win. I’ve had them at Kentucky, Louisville, Boston University and Providence College, I’ve had it everywhere. I was very fortunate to get the athletes that had built a culture of winning. It’s not going to be difficult. There is no difference between St. John’s to Connecticut, St. John’s to Marquette, St. John’s to Xavier. St. John’s is one of the legendary names in college basketball. Has it fallen on tough times? Yes, it has, but now we’re ready to fall on great times. Raise this roof up, because St. John’s is going to be back, I guarantee that.”
On full-circle moment of returning to New York…
“It is. … I do things a little different than most coaches. … I’m a true basketball junkie. For two years, when I was without basketball, I played golf and it told me to get back in the game. I have come full circle.”
On vision of the basketball program…
“Father Shanley has pledged to build something really special at St. John’s, and I know he will do it. My confidence in him is off the charts, because everyone at Providence reveres him. … He’ll build something special. I’m going to build something special in between the lines and in the community with all the St. John’s fans. Father is going to build the facilities and the academic excellence, because he did it at Providence and there is not a doubt in my mind that he will do it again.”
On the opportunity at St. John’s…
“I say this to every recruit. … I never ask a recruit ‘who else is recruiting you?,’ and they say ‘how come?’ I’ll never say a negative word about another coach and I’ll never knock another school. I have too much respect for the people I coach against and too much respect for the people we play each and every night. The greatest, most humbled when he lost is right here in the first row [points to Lou Carnesecca]. Probably because he didn’t lose much, but all of us, as young coaches, learned so much from Coach Carnesecca. … Everybody loved him and everybody revered him. We all take a page out of his book. I don’t worry about what people say or think, my job is to build men, build character in them, make them raise their level, make them reach their potential and that’s what it’s all about as a coach. Get the team to reach their potential in life and between the lines as well.”
Senior Center Joel Soriano
On being a major part of Coach Pitino’s plan to build the program…
“It’s amazing. With the caliber of a coach that he is, the aura that he brings, for him to tell me that he wants me to a big part of what he wants to build here, it’s an honor, a dream that I’ve always had. I’m just happy. Words can’t explain it.“
On how he will continue to be a leader…
“I’m just trying to take it all in and be humble. Whatever kids come in and whoever stays with [the program], we are just trying to build a winning program, a winning attitude. We’re just trying to win, that’s all we really want to do here. If that takes me playing my role, I’m going to do whatever Coach [Pitino] needs for us to win.“
On deciding to return to St. John’s…
“I sat down and weighed all my options to see what it would look like. I personally felt like I wasn’t ready for the [professional] level. I wasn’t where I wanted to be. When Coach [Pitino] came in, he talked to me, told me about what he has planned for me, what he has in store. It’s going to take a lot of work. He told me he is going to get me to where I want to be. … He trusts me, I trust him. It’s a win, win.”
On Coach Pitino’s style of play…
“It’s very fast paced, high-tempo. Defensively, he is heavy on pressing and speeding other teams up. That’s nothing that I’m not used to, that’s how we played last year. It’s going to be fun.”
On how St. John’s has supported him…
“I love St. John’s. The fans here, the alumni, the people that work at the school, all the people here, they always give me so much love and support. I want to give back, my first two years haven’t gone the way I wanted to go. This year I want to make it count. I want to give back and be remembered for something great here.”
On how his first meeting with Coach Pitino went…
“He mostly asked me about me. He wanted to know about who I was as a person, my family life. We didn’t get into basketball until a little later in the conversation. He told me how he sees himself. He told me who he is and what he sees in me. He’s very passionate about basketball. He wants to win. He has this love for the game that he can’t even explain. He wants his players to be a spitting image of him. He told me if we all have that passion and drive for the game, we will reach heights that we never thought we could reach.”
On how he thinks Coach Pitino can develop his game…
“Coach Pitino coached a lot of college and professional players that are playing in the NBA or overseas. … He knows what it takes and how to get [players] there. I believe he can get me there. I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work, I’m just ready to work.”
St. John’s University President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P.
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“There was one phone call that really clarified things for me. It was from Billy Donovan. He called me and said, I really think you should hire Rick Pitino. He didn’t talk about the wins. He talked about the impact that coach had on his life. … It’s the impact on our players lives that’s the most important thing for me in picking a coach. Yes, I want to win, but the young men who will work and play under Rick Pitino, he is going to be the biggest influence on their lives. As an educator, what I care most about is what kind of human beings these guys become. … I believe that Rick will not only bring a winning culture to St. John’s but he will be a transformative figure in the lives of our student-athletes. I think that is the most valuable quality that Rick Pitino brings to St. John’s. … It is for this particular reason that I am thrilled to introduce the next men’s basketball coach at St. John’s University, Rick Pitino.”
BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman
On new Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“Coach Pitino, on behalf of the BIG EAST, I want to extend our congratulations to you on your return. We are so excited to be adding to the ranks of our coaching fraternity. Seven final fours and two national championships. … You are a master of the game by any standard. We all know that mediocrity on the hardwood is an unacceptable outcome for you. His New York roots make him a great match for New York’s team.”
Former St. John’s Head Coach and Hall of Famer Lou Carnesecca
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“Rick Pitino is one of the best coaches in the history of the game. He will be a great addition to the coaching legacy here at St. John’s, following in the footsteps of Buck Freeman, Joe Lapchick and Frank McGuire. I think he is in the top-10, perhaps even in the top-five list of coaches in the last 50 years.”
St. John’s University Director of Athletics Mike Cragg
On Head Coach Rick Pitino…
“This is about a marriage between winning and doing the things the right way. We are going to elevate all of New York City together. Coach, I welcome you, I thank you and look forward to be a great partner with you. This school is a great place to be, I know it firsthand for the four years I have been here. It is about the people.”