Rick Pitino facts for kids
Pitino in a press conference for the 2013 Final Four
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| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | St. John's |
| Conference | Big East |
| Record | 51–18 (.739) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | September 18, 1952 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1971–1974 | UMass |
| Position(s) | Point guard |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1974–1976 | Hawaii (assistant) |
| 1976 | Hawaii (interim HC) |
| 1976–1978 | Syracuse (assistant) |
| 1978–1983 | Boston University |
| 1983–1985 | New York Knicks (assistant) |
| 1985–1987 | Providence |
| 1987–1989 | New York Knicks |
| 1989–1997 | Kentucky |
| 1997–2001 | Boston Celtics |
| 2001–2017 | Louisville |
| 2018–2020 | Panathinaikos |
| 2020–2023 | Iona |
| 2023–present | St. John's |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 885–311 (.740) (college) 192–220 (.466) (NBA) |
| Tournaments | 55–22 (NCAA Division I) 6–5 (NIT) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
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| Awards | |
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| Basketball Hall of Fame Inducted in 2013 (profile) |
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Richard Andrew Pitino (born September 18, 1952) is a famous American basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the men's basketball team at St. John's University. He also coached the Greek national team.
Pitino has been a head coach for many college teams in NCAA Division I and professional teams in the NBA. These include Boston University (1978–1983), Providence College (1985–1987), the New York Knicks (1987–1989), the University of Kentucky (1989–1997), the Boston Celtics (1997–2001), the University of Louisville (2001–2017), Panathinaikos in Greece (2018–2020), and Iona University (2020–2023).
Pitino led the Kentucky Wildcats to an NCAA championship in 1996. In 2013, he was chosen for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. This is a special place for basketball legends.
In 2017, Pitino faced some challenges. The NCAA suspended him for a few games due to issues with how players were recruited at the University of Louisville. Louisville's national championship from 2013 was later officially removed from their record. In September 2017, Pitino was involved in a federal investigation about payments to recruits. This led to Louisville ending his coaching role there. He was later cleared of these accusations and returned to coaching after a short time as a broadcaster.
On March 20, 2023, he became the head basketball coach at St. John's University.
Contents
Early Life and Playing Days
Pitino was born in New York City and grew up in Bayville, New York. He was the captain of the basketball team at St. Dominic High School in Oyster Bay, Long Island.
In 1970, Pitino started college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He played as a point guard for the Minutemen basketball team. He was known for his assists, which means he helped his teammates score. He led the team in assists during his junior and senior years.
During his time at UMass, future NBA star Julius Erving was also there. Pitino earned his degree from UMass in 1974.
Coaching Journey
Starting Out
Pitino began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of Hawaii in 1974. He became a full-time assistant in 1975. He even served as Hawaii's temporary head coach for six games in the 1975–76 season.
After Hawaii, Pitino became the first assistant coach hired by Jim Boeheim at Syracuse University in 1976.
In 1978, Pitino became the head coach at Boston University. The team had not won many games before he arrived. Pitino worked hard to change that. He used a special defense called the "full-court press" for most of each game. This helped the team reach the NCAA tournament for the first time in 24 years.
Big Steps: College and NBA
In 1983, Pitino left Boston University to become an assistant coach for the New York Knicks in the NBA.
He returned to college coaching in 1985 at Providence College. The team had a tough season before he arrived. Just two years later, Pitino led Providence to the Final Four, which is a huge achievement in college basketball.
On July 14, 1987, Pitino became the head coach of the New York Knicks. The team had only won 24 games the year before. In only two years, Pitino helped the Knicks win their first division title in almost 20 years. He left the Knicks on May 30, 1989.
After coaching in the NBA, Pitino went back to college basketball in 1989 to coach at Kentucky. The Kentucky program was facing challenges from past issues. Pitino quickly helped Kentucky become a top team again. He led them to the Final Four in 1993 and won a national championship in 1996. This was Kentucky's sixth NCAA Championship. The next year, his Kentucky team made it to the national championship game again but lost in overtime. Pitino's teams at Kentucky were known for their fast-paced style and strong defense.
Coaching Louisville
Pitino returned to college coaching on March 21, 2001, to lead the University of Louisville team. In the 2005 season, Pitino led Louisville to their first Final Four in 19 years. This made him the first men's coach in NCAA history to lead three different schools to the Final Four.
In 2012, Pitino coached the Cardinals to win the Big East tournament. They also made it to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament. In 2013, Pitino led the Louisville Cardinals to win their third national championship. They beat Michigan 82–76. This made him the first NCAA Division I coach to win a championship with two different schools.
Louisville later had some wins removed from their record by the NCAA due to rule violations. This included their 2013 National Championship and their 2012 Final Four appearance.
New Adventures: Greece and Iona
On December 26, 2018, Pitino became the head coach of Panathinaikos, a professional team in Greece. This was his first time coaching in the EuroLeague. In February 2019, his team won the Greek Cup. They also won the Greek Basket League championship that season.
On November 26, 2019, Pitino was rehired by Panathinaikos. He stayed with the team until March 2020, when the season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 14, 2020, Pitino was named head coach of Iona College. In his first season, his team won the MAAC tournament. This made Pitino the third coach ever to lead five different programs to the NCAA tournament. His Iona teams also won the regular season title in the next two seasons.
Back to New York: St. John's
On March 20, 2023, Pitino was named the head coach of St. John's. He continues to lead the team there.
Coaching National Teams
Pitino has also coached national basketball teams. On December 20, 2010, he was hired as head coach of the senior Puerto Rico national team. He coached them in the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship.
On November 8, 2019, Pitino was hired as head coach of Greece's senior national team. He was set to coach Greece in the 2020 FIBA Victoria Olympic qualifying tournament and the 2020 Summer Olympics if they qualified.
Personal Life
Pitino married Joanne Minardi in 1976. They have five children. One of their sons, Richard, is also a college basketball coach. He coaches the Xavier Musketeers.
Their son, Daniel, passed away in 1987 when he was six months old. Rick and Joanne started the Daniel Pitino Foundation in his memory. This foundation has raised a lot of money to help children in need. They also have a Daniel Pitino shelter in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The family faced another sad event on September 11, 2001. Joanne's brother and Rick's close friend, Billy Minardi, was working in the World Trade Center when it was attacked. Since 2002, the University of Louisville has a special basketball game called the Billy Minardi Classic. The university also named a dorm "Billy Minardi Hall" in his honor.
Achievements and Impact
Pitino has written several motivational books. These include Success is a Choice, Born to Coach, Rebound Rules, and Pitino: My Story. His books share his life experiences and coaching philosophies.
In 2005, Pitino's Louisville team had 33 wins, which was a school record at the time. The 2013 NCAA championship team later surpassed this with 35 wins. He is one of only two men's coaches in NCAA history to lead three different schools (Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville) to the Final Four.
Pitino is known for being one of the first coaches to really use the 3-point shot in college basketball. His Kentucky teams in the 1990s were called "Pitino's Bombinos" because they scored so many points from three-pointers. His teams are also famous for their strong defensive styles, like the full-court press and 2–3 zone.
Many of Pitino's former players and assistant coaches have become successful college coaches themselves. More than 20 of them have become head coaches at Division I schools. Some famous examples include Billy Donovan, who coached the University of Florida and now coaches the Chicago Bulls, and his son, Richard Pitino.
See also
In Spanish: Rick Pitino para niños
