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Hall of Famer Rick Pitino is currently serving as the St. John's Red Storm coach. He has been a coach for various Division I, national and NBA teams. He was fired from Louisville in October 2017, after which he joined the EuroLeague as the Panathinaikos coach. However, his return to college basketball came in the year 2020, when he was hired as the Iona Gaels coach.
Why did Rick Pitino go to Iona?
Rick Pitino's return to join Iona College was driven by a chance to continue his college career after previously having success with programs like Kentucky. Pitino took this opportunity to mentor young athletes and revitalize a college program.
The opportunity came into the picture when Iona coach Tim Cluess resigned from his position due to health issues, leaving a vacancy. Iona President Seamus Carey didn't miss the opportunity to meet Pitino in Madrid, where he convinced him to join the Gaels.
During his time at Iona, Pitino led the school to an impressive record of 64-22. He also secured a 40-9 record in the MAAC over three years. As a result, Iona secured the MAAC regular season title in consecutive years. The Gaels also clinched the MAAC Tournament championship in 2021 and 2023.
Pitino initially claimed that Iona would be the last team of his successful coaching career before retirement, but he joined St. John's University in 2023. The Red Storm concluded the 2023-24 season in fifth place in the Big East Conference with a conference record of 11-9 (overall 20-13) but failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Nevertheless, Pitino's coaching journey has been full of standout NCAA runs, as he was the first coach to lead three different schools, Providence, Kentucky and Louisville, to the NCAA Final Four. In 1996, he secured the NCAA title with Kentucky.
Pitino, after winning the 2013 NCAA Tournament with Louisville, became the first coach to do so with two different college programs. However, Louisville's title was later vacated by the NCAA due to the college's escort case. In 2013, he was also honored with the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
