Rick Pitino Biography

Rick Pitino, born on September 18, 1952, is an American basketball coach serving as the head men's basketball coach at St. John's University. He has served as head coach at Boston University from 1978 to 1983, Providence College from 1985 to 1987, the New York Knicks from 1987 to 1989, and the University of Kentucky from 1989 to 1997. Pitino guided St. John's to consecutive Big East titles in 2025 and 2026, winning both the regular season and tournament championships. Pitino began his collegiate career at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1970. During his time at UMass, he recorded 329 career assists, a total that ranked him tenth in school history until 2014. He played alongside teammates Al Skinner, who later became a college coach, and Mike Flanagan, who won the AL Cy Young Award in 1979. Rick Pitino completed his undergraduate studies and received his degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1974.