Xavier HC Richard Pitino gets candid on facing St. John's, alma mater Providence: "Not looking down there at the other sideline"

Xavier's newly appointed coach, Richard Pitino, brings a focused mindset to his first season in the Big East, brushing aside emotional narratives tied to familiar opponents.

Asked about facing St. John’s, coached by his father, Rick Pitino, and Providence College, his alma mater, Pitino addressed the emotional layer of facing St. John’s during Thursday's interview with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

“I don't get real emotional in any of the games, whether it's playing my dad, whether it's playing at Providence College or whatever like for me, I understand what my job is,” Pitino said (9:23).

“My job is to go do my very, very best to win and to build a sustainable championship program, and it doesn't matter who we play, I'm not looking down there at the other sideline. I'm not I'm just worried about Xavier with every game that we play.”

Pitino called the school a “special place” with “amazing memories.” His father also coached Providence in 1987, adding historical weight to the connection.

“I mean, I've had amazing memories, whether it's at Providence College as a student, my dad obviously coaching there in 1987,” he added. “It's a special place to me. I appreciate it. It shaped me. I've got great friends who I still know, who went there and keep in touch with but it doesn't matter who we play. We're going to try to win every game.”

A native of the Northeast, Pitino called joining the Big East a long-standing goal.

Richard Pitino joins Xavier following back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances

Xavier University named Richard Pitino their new coach in March. He succeeds Sean Miller, who parted ways with the program after the 2024–25 season.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, left, New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino - Source: Imagn

Pitino joins Xavier from New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Under his leadership, New Mexico won the Mountain West Tournament in 2024 and secured the regular season title in 2025.

The hire brings a notable storyline to the Big East, placing Richard Pitino in the same conference as his father, Rick Pitino.

The elder Pitino reportedly advocated for his son to take the Xavier job. The two last met in November 2024, when Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team defeated New Mexico.

Richard takes over a Xavier program looking to return to national relevance, while the upcoming Big East season sets the stage for a high-profile father-son coaching rivalry.