There can be one other Pitino within the Large East subsequent season.
Richard Pitino, the son of St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, is anticipated to be employed as the subsequent head males’s basketball coach at Xavier, in response to ESPN.
He and his dad will now face off a minimum of twice a yr.
The youthful Pitino, 42, is coming off back-to-back NCAA Match appearances with New Mexico and can take over the Musketeers after Sean Miller headed to the SEC for the Texas job.
The Lobos received the Mountain West event final season and have been common season champions 2025.
New Mexico, which misplaced to his dad’s St. John’s staff early this season, fell to No. 2 Michigan State within the second spherical of the NCAA Match on Sunday along with his father watching on.
Richard Pitino went 88-49 in his 4 seasons in New Mexico, together with a victory over Marquette within the opening spherical of this yr’s NCAA Match.
He takes over a Xavier program that completed 22-12 and fifth within the Large East at 13-7.
The Musketeers defeated Texas within the First 4 earlier than shedding to Illinois within the first spherical of March Insanity. They reached the Large Dance two of the previous 4 years.
Earlier than New Mexico, Richard Pitino spent eight years as the top coach of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers went 141-123 and reached two NCAA Tournaments below his management. He was fired after a 14-15 marketing campaign in 2020-21.
Pitino’s father is coming off a historic second season at St. John’s, main the Crimson Storm to their first outright Large East common season title in 40 years and their first Large East event crown since 2000. The Johnnies have been denied a visit to the Candy 16 by John Calipari and Arkansas.
