When St. John’s approached Rick Pitino about its head teaching place practically two years in the past, amongst its strongest allies was Pitino’s son, Richard.
That is what the New Mexico head coach envisioned.
“There were some other jobs inquiring. I just thought it was the perfect way for him to go out,” Richard Pitino informed The Put up in a telephone interview. “A New York guy through and through. My mom [Joanne] is the same way. They’ve got great friends. It’s really cool to see my brother, my dad’s friends, aunts and uncles at the games at the Garden.”
For the primary time in 25 years, St. John’s is profitable huge, on their own atop the Huge East and ranked within the high 10. Rick Pitino is having a blast, main a renaissance of New York Metropolis’s faculty crew on the age of 72 in his season main the Queens program.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS
“I hope he doesn’t quit coaching anytime soon. Not because he’s winning, but because it seems like he’s really enjoying it and it’s keeping him young,” Richard Pitino mentioned. “If you end up teaching a crew like St. John’s, and also you sit there and watch Zuby [Ejiofor] appear to be Dennis Rodman on the glass, you watch RJ Luis diving after shedding balls, and also you’re seeing a crew that’s enjoying so arduous for the title on the entrance of the jersey, that’s received to be probably the most rewarding feeling ever.
“I think it’s a fun group for him to coach because they are legitimately one of the hardest-playing teams in the country. That is really validating.”
St. John’s isn’t the one Pitino-led crew having a powerful season. New Mexico, the chief within the Mountain West Convention, is also projected to make the NCAA Match. Coincidentally, on Sunday each groups performed the second-place groups of their respective leagues at dwelling and gained slim contests to create separation. That night time, they appeared on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” collectively.
“We’re living and dying with it,” Richard Pitino mentioned, “because we both work so hard and both programs mean a lot to each other.”
One of many Lobos’ 4 losses got here in opposition to the Johnnies again in November on the Backyard. Possibly there might be a March Insanity rematch.
