"I probably would have stayed at Kentucky": Rick Pitino reveals only choice he could have changed going back in time

A few weeks after calling out his team in an explosive rant, coach Rick Pitino has led the St. John's Red Storm to five consecutive wins for a respectable 19-12 overall and 11-9 Big East record.

During a recent episode of "Pardon My Take," Pitino revealed which move he would reverse if he were to redo his career once again.

“I was offered about seven or eight pro jobs before the Celtics, obviously I was the Knick coach, and that’s a dream for me being a New Yorker, but hindsight is 2020,” Pittino said.

"If I had to do it all over again, I’d probably never leave Kentucky. You know, Dick Vitale, every time I speak to him, ‘if you would have stayed at Kentucky, you’d have more wins than any coach,’ and you think back on that."

“But I learned a lot. To coach the Boston Celtics, even if you didn’t do a great job, it’s just too much. You know, you got Red Auerbach, you got Bill Russell, Havlicek … and so many greats." he added.

"It was worth the experience. But if I had to do it all over again, I had a choice, I probably would have stayed in Kentucky.”

He coached the Kentucky Wildcats between 1989 and 1997, winning a national championship in 1996 before leaving for the Boston Celtics as head coach.

Rick Pitino had a 219-50 record during his Widlcats tenure.

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Rick Pitino goes on an explosive rant

Rick Pitino has never shied away from confrontations and speaking his mind. A few weeks ago, after a demoralizing 68-62 loss to Seton Hall, the St. John's coach went on an explosive rant in his postgame news conference.

He lambasted the Red Storms' athletic facilities and his experience as the head coach of the program.

“This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime,” Pitino said. “This has been so disappointing. Do we have sh***y facilities? Yes, we do. But we’re doing something about that. But that’s not the reason we’re losing. Having sh***y facilities has nothing to do with guarding.”

Pitino also controversially called out some of his players by name and listed their weaknesses.

“Joel [Soriano]’s slow laterally, he’s not fast on the court,” Pitino said. “Chris Ledlum is slow laterally, Sean Conway’s slow laterally. Brady [Dunlap’s] physically weak, Drissa [Traore] is slow laterally.”

Rick Pitino has always had a charismatic yet prickly persona and his latest rant seems to have worked in focusing his players, resulting in a five-game unbeaten streak.