Rick Pitino was not quite able to get back into the Elite Eight this season, but he will still end up doing quite well for himself.
The St. John’s men’s basketball head coach Pitino has signed a new deal with the university, Pete Thamel of ESPN reported on Sunday. Thamel adds that Pitino’s new contract tacks on an additional year (now running through 2029-30) and is also set to give Pitino a “significant” increase in pay.
Pitino, the Basketball Hall of Famer, has over five decades of coaching experience and took over for the Red Storm in 2023. Since then, Pitino has steadily improved the fortunes of the program.
St. John’s went a respectable 20-13 during Pitino’s first season in charge then went a blistering 31-5 in 2024-25 (including a regular season title, a Big East Tournament title, and a berth in the NCAA Tournament).
This season under Pitino, the Red Storm went 30-7, once again won both a regular season title and the Big East Tournament, and made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. Now Pitino is getting rewarded handsomely for his team’s success.
Pitino is now 73 years old, meaning that his new extension will take him all the way until age 77. As one of the viral stars of this year’s NCAA Tournament though, Pitino clearly still has his fastball.
