Rick Pitino is now the head coach for St. John's basketball, but he had quite the journey to get there. Pitino's coaching career began all the way back in 1974. He has coached college and he has coached NBA, and perhaps the most intriguing part of his career came when he started coaching Louisville… after he had already coached for their arch-rival, Kentucky. You don't see that very often. Pitino was with Louisville from 2001-2017 before a scandal forced him out, and he spent some time coaching in other countries before taking a job with Iona. Now, Pitino is back where he grew up to coach the St. John's Red Storm: New York City.
The St. John's basketball team will play at Madison Square Garden on Monday against Michigan basketball, and The Garden holds a special place in Pitino's heart. It's so special to him that he wrote a letter to the Red Storm fan base ahead of the matchup.
“It feels good to be home,” Rick Pitino said in the letter. “As a kid, riding the train to The Garden ignited my passion for the game. The non-stop rhythm of the city fueled my hunger to compete. The resolve of the people inspired my drive and ability to overcome anything. I've been in this game for more than 40 years, 11 teams, 835 wins, and a few shining moments later, no matter where I've been or what I've accomplished, New York has always been with me. And I'm back where I belong. But this is different. Now I represent the St. John's Red Storm. My passion, hunger and drive have never been higher. This is personal. The Red Storm embodies the pride of New York. We play for those born and bred from the five boroughs. We play for those who came here to chase bigger dreams. We play for all the service workers that keep this city running. We play for New York.”
That message is sure to fire up fans of the Red Storm. St. John's is already 1-0 on the season, and their game against Michigan at The Garden should be an exciting matchup.
Follow Us
Subscribe