"The money can dry up quickly": Jeff Goodman weighs in on St. John's future if program doesn't find "right guy" to replace Rick Pitino

Coach Rick Pitino turned the St. John's Red Storm into a household name once again after winning the Big East regular season and Tournament double last season. He also led the Red Storm back to the NCAA Tournament, where they were eliminated by coach John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks.

Pitino became the first coach in NCAA history to lead six teams at the Big Dance but at 72-years old, questions about how long he can continue in the role have been raised by both fans and analysts.

During Friday's segment of "The Field of 68," analyst Jeff Goodman weighed in on the issue of Pitino and the Red Storm's future when he leaves especially since the coach has loosened NIL boosters' purses since his arrival (2:15).

"The problem can be the money can dry up quickly if it's not the right guy," Goodman said. "We've seen it with other programs. The money can dry up. There can be a ton of money in the program. You know, Georgetown was a good example for a while, right? You know, the wrong hires and the program went downhill, even though, again, I would argue with a lot of people that I think Georgetown is still a top 20-ish job.

"I know it's changed now with the portal, things have changed. It's probably not a top 20 job today, but I thought it was a couple of years ago before NIL became such a major component for St John's. It's just about again, are you going to get the right guy to follow him that's going to be able to sustain the success?"

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Rick Pitino revolution backed by billionaire

St. John's alum and billionaire, Mike Repole, was a big part of luring Rick Pitino to the Red Storm job in 2023. He has funded the legendary coach's revolution by backing him extensively and providing 50% of the NIL funds available to the team.

According to a 247Sports report, the Red Storm's $4 million payment to their players was among the top 20 in the country.

“If we need more money, I’ll call our guy Mike Repole and say, ‘We need more money,'” Rick Pitino said in a news conference last month.

Despite speculation about his future, Rick Pitino was backed heavily once again and according to 247Sports, the Red Storm brought in the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country.