Did Rick Pitino ever coach the Boston Celtics? St. John's HC professional career explored

Rick Pitino has made a name for himself in basketball over the last five decades. The veteran has worked as a coach in several destinations across the United States since graduating from the University of Massachusetts in 1974, where he played four seasons with the Minutemen.

In his coaching career that has spanned five decades, Pitino has served in the NBA as well as college basketball. He recorded significant success in the NCAA Division I and did fairly well in the NBA as well. Let's examine where the St. John's coach has been in the league.

Did Rick Pitino ever coach the Boston Celtics?

Rick Pitino was named the Boston Celtics coach in 1997. The hiring marked a return to the NBA for him, having previously worked with the New York Knicks. He teamed up with the Celtics after a successful nine-year tenure in college basketball with Kentucky.

Arriving at Boston, Pitino was faced with the tough task of rebuilding the once-dominant Celtics. However, he faced significant difficulties in adapting to the coaching style of the league and the dynamics of professional players.

There were a lot of expectations from every quarter when Rick Pitino took the job. However, he couldn't live up to them. Following a heartbreaking loss to the Toronto Raptors on March 1, 2000, Pitino's frustration reached a tipping point during his postgame press conference.

Addressing the expectations of Boston Celtics fans and the media, Pitino issued a challenge, urging them to release their grip on the past and redirect their focus toward the future. It was evident at the moment that the coach might not have a long future at the franchise.

Rick Pitino eventually resigned from his position on Jan. 8, 2001, as results continued to get worse. His tenure at the franchise ended with a 102-146 record. Despite his previous successes, the Celtics job was a hard nut to crack for Pitino.

Following his exit from the Celtics in 2001, Pitino returned to college basketball later that year. He was hired to coach Louisville, replacing the legendary Denny Crum.