For the primary time in his decades-long profession, Rick Pitino is the Naismith Coach of the 12 months.
The St. John’s coach received the illustrious nationwide award throughout a ceremony Sunday on the Last 4 in San Antonio. He was chosen over fellow finalists Bruce Pearl of Auburn, Kelvin Sampson of Houston, and Jon Scheyer of Duke.
“It’s very prestigious,” Pitino stated throughout an acceptance speech on the Tobin Middle, “and I’m deeply honored.”
The award acknowledged a resurgent season during which Pitino, in his second 12 months at St. John’s, led the Pink Storm to a 31-5 file, their first outright Massive East regular-season championship since 1985 and their first Massive East Event title since 2000.
With a roster largely composed of transfers and that had 4 new starters, St. John’s boasted Division I’s second-most-efficient protection, in accordance with KenPom, and the nation’s fourth-best rebounding unit.
“Coaches are just bridge builders. We don’t score points. We don’t grab rebounds. We don’t make passes,” Pitino, 72, stated.
“We’re bridge builders to try and help young people cross over to success. I’m in it 50 years and I’m just getting started in the business. I feel a new, new feeling inside with building St. John’s.”
The Johnnies made the NCAA Event for the primary time since 2019 — as a No. 2 seed, no much less. Their first-round win over Omaha was this system’s first NCAA Event victory in 25 years. The storybook season got here to a sudden finish, nonetheless, when Tenth-seeded Arkansas upset St. John’s within the second spherical.
That is the primary time a St. John’s coach has received the Naismith award. It’s the second 12 months in a row that the consideration went to a Massive East coach, as UConn’s Dan Hurley received it final 12 months.
“This would have been the 100th birthday of Lou Carnesecca this year,” Pitino stated. “He passed away [in November]. Lou, this is your award. We share it with you, because you are St. John’s.”
Earlier in Sunday’s ceremony, Duke’s Cooper Flagg was named the Naismith Participant of the 12 months after main the Blue Devils with 19.2 factors, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per recreation as a freshman.
Shot-blocking Creighton middle Ryan Kalkbrenner was named the Naismith Defensive Participant of the 12 months.
On the ladies’s aspect, USC’s JuJu Watkins was named the Naismith Participant of the 12 months and UCLA’s Cori Shut received the Naismith Coach of the 12 months final week.
Pitino, a two-time nationwide champion, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Fame in 2013, however he had by no means received Naismith Coach of the 12 months, which debuted in 1987.
Pitino obtained totally different nationwide honors in 1987, together with NABC Coach of the 12 months and John Wood Nationwide Coach of the 12 months. He led Windfall to the Last 4 that 12 months.
However the Naismith Trophy that 12 months went to Indiana’s Bob Knight.
Pitino obtained quite a few accolades this season for his St. John’s turnaround, together with Massive East Coach of the 12 months for the primary time.
Earlier this month, Pitino was named the co-recipient of the AP Coach of the 12 months with Auburn’s Bruce Pearl. In March, Pitino obtained america Basketball Writers Affiliation’s Henry Iba Award, which additionally acknowledges the 12 months’s finest school coach.
Sunday capped a busy awards season for St. John’s. RJ Luis Jr. received Massive East Participant of the 12 months, whereas Zuby Ejiofor was the convention’s Most Improved Participant. Each made the All-Massive East First Crew, whereas Kadary Richmond made the second staff.
Initially Revealed: April 6, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT
