On Saturday, Rick Pitino and his son, Richard, will face off for the fifth time as head coaches. This time, history is on the line in the Pitino Bowl, with Rick seeking his 900th career win, when St. John’s travels to Cincinnati to face Richard’s Xavier.
With a victory Saturday, Pitino will become the seventh Division I men’s basketball coach to reach 900 career wins and the 15th in all of men’s college basketball. Along with other coaches like Jim Boeheim and Bill Self, Pitino’s official win total of 776 is lower than his credited tally. Pitino was forced to vacate 123 wins from 2011 to 2015 due to recruiting violations while coaching Louisville.
Richard poked fun at his dad on social media Friday, noting that he was excited to pursue his 258th win.
“Can’t believe I’m going for my 258th win vs. my dad,” Pitino wrote in a post on X. “What are the odds???”
Can’t believe I’m going for my 258th win vs. my dad. What are the odds??? ⚔️
— Richard Pitino (@XUCoachPitino) January 23, 2026
With the Pitino Bowl upcoming, let’s take a look back at the four previous matchups between father and son, in which Rick has gone 3-1.
Nov. 17, 2024: New Mexico vs. St. John’s
Early last season, the Pitinos met for the first time since Rick took the job at St. John’s. In a battle between NCAA Tournament teams, the Red Storm earned an 85-71 victory over the Lobos.
St. John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. dominated, finishing with game-highs of 21 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. New Mexico’s Donovan Dent, now at UCLA, had 12 points and six assists. The Lobos reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Michigan State, while John Calipari’s Arkansas upset No. 2 seed St. John’s.
Dec. 18, 2022: New Mexico vs. Iona
The Lobos improved to 11-0 with an 82-74 triumph in Richard’s only win over his father as a head coach. Current G League player Jaelen House led New Mexico with 22 points. Nelly Junior Joseph, who transferred to New Mexico after the 2022-23 season, had a team-high 21 points for Iona.
Most notably, Walter Clayton Jr. had 14 points in 35 minutes for the Gaels. After winning the NCAA Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player with Florida in the 2024-25 campaign, the Washington Wizards drafted Clayton 18th last summer.
After a 27-8 season, Pitino departed Iona for St. John’s.
Nov. 14, 2014: Louisville vs. Minnesota
The second game between the Pitinos took place in an airplane hangar. At the Armed Forces Classic in Puerto Rico, Rick’s Cardinals earned an 81-68 victory in the season opener. Future NBA Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell had 30 points on 9-of-12 from the field, and Terry Rozier posted 18 points.
Louisville went on to reach the Elite Eight, while Minnesota finished 18-15 overall and 6-12 in Big Ten play.
Louisville assistant coach Richard Pitino (left) and head coach Rick Pitino (right) before a 2012 NCAA Tournament game against Michigan State. (Kyle Terada / Imagn Images)
Dec. 19, 2012: Louisville vs. Florida International
Richard arrived at FIU for his first head coaching job in 2012, after working as an associate coach at Louisville alongside his dad in 2010-11. He scheduled a game at Louisville, creating the first edition of the father-son battle. The Panthers were overmatched against the No. 5 Cardinals, as guard Peyton Siva finished with 15 points and 12 assists in a 79-55 blowout.
Louisville went on to win the national championship, the second of Pitino’s career. The program was later forced to vacate the title due to recruiting violations.
Meanwhile, Richard led FIU to its best season since 1997-98, falling just short of an automatic bid with a conference tournament title game loss to Western Kentucky. He took the head coaching job at Minnesota in the offseason, where he stayed until 2021.
