Getty Image / Darryl Oumi
Rick Pitino has been a popular name in rumors about head coaching jobs that have either opened up recently or are expected to open up.
In particular, fans were quick to name him as a candidate for the Georgetown job.
However, it looks like he’s actually interested in a different Power 5 job.
In fact, it’s actually another job in Georgetown’s conference that has caught Pitino’s eye.
St John’s nearly pulled off a massive upset yesterday. As the 8-seed in the Big East, they took Marquette to overtime before falling just short of the win.
In spite of the team’s effort yesterday, St John’s decided to part ways with head coach Mike Anderson today.
After the team made that decision, Stadium’s Jeff Goldman revealed that Pitino has significant interest in the St John’s job.
There is significant interest on both sides with the St. John’s job and Iona coach Rick Pitino, source told @Stadium. https://t.co/O7k4iJiapi
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 10, 2023
It makes a lot of sense for Pinto to be much more interested in this job than the Georgetown job. Georgetown didn’t win a conference game last year and then remained the worst team in the Big East this year.
St John’s hasn’t been great recently, but they’ve at least been above .500 every season.
Their most recent NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2019 and they haven’t been to the Sweet 16 since the 90s.
If anybody can end that streak, it’s Rick Pitino. The legendary coach has made 13 appearances in the Sweet 16 over the course of his illustrious career including runs to the Final Four with 3 different programs.
For now, Pitino is still on his way to another tournament appearance with Iona, who won the MAAC’s regular season title this year.
While that may be his focus right now, it looks like we could see him heading back to the Big East this offseason.