2-time NCAA champion coach says he’d return to Louisville ‘in a New York minute’ despite scandal

The St. John’s basketball team had a strong season that ended prematurely in year two of the Rick Pitino era. Pitino was named Big East Coach of the Year, and RJ Luis earned Big East Player of the Year honors. This was not only a positive development for the Johnnies as a team but also a significant personal milestone for Pitino, who set an NCAA record.

“Rick Pitino is now the first head coach in Division I history to win a regular-season conference title with five different programs, per ESPN Stats Info: Boston University, Kentucky, Louisville, Iona, and St. John’s,” ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reported.

Pitino has done an impressive job adapting to the modern era of college basketball. He’s shown awareness of how the game has evolved, particularly in recognizing the changing role of the point guard.

“There are no point guards anymore. If you find it, you’re probably describing a guy who can’t shoot,” the St. John’s coach said during a media scrum.

In a recent interview with CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, Pitino admitted that he would return to coach Louisville if the opportunity arose.

“All is forgiven, all is forgotten. I no longer think the slightest bit negatively about the University of Louisville and I would go back in a New York minute,” Pitino told Rothstein.

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Pitino was previously fired from Louisville following a scandal involving a recruit’s family receiving a substantial payment.

“Looking back on it now, I deserved to be fired by Louisville,” Pitino said. “Was I innocent of any wrongdoing? Yes I was, but I was the leader and I deserved to be fired. I need to move on and that’s what I probably have learned the most.”

Several years have passed since the incident. While Pitino has expressed a willingness to return, it seems unlikely given the direction current head coach Pat Kelsey is taking the program. Still, the idea and possibility may always linger.