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St. John’s received a major NIL boost just days after Rick Pitino publicly ripped into his team in a postgame press conference. At the time, those scathing comments were viewed harsh – even disrespectful to a degree – as he blasted his lineup’s athleticism and ability on the court.
Keep in mind that Pitino recruited these players this past offseason as he geared up for Year 1 in the Big Apple.
The head coach went on to call this debut season “the most unenjoyable” he’s had professionally as the Red Storm continued on a three-game losing skid.
Rick Pitino would later double down on those remarks while denying he’d embarrassed his roster, though something seemed to change this week.
After a Wednesday night win over Georgetown, he walked back his comments while noting that he never should’ve called any player out by name. When all was said and done, though, his biggest goal might’ve been achieved.
St. John’s landed a seven-figure NIL donation from billionaire Mike Repole to aid in recruiting moving forward.
More from the NY Post:
The billionaire St. John’s alum who has gotten involved again over the past year helping his former school, was following the coverage of Rick Pitino’s comments like everyone else.
And he chose Wednesday afternoon as the time to divert from all the negativity that had enveloped the fan base, breaking his own news on X that he planned to donate seven figures for the Johnnies’ Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) deals for next season.
“I’m going to commit whatever it takes,” Repole, the co-founder of Vitamin Water told The Post on the phone. “I don’t think there’s going to be any alumni from any other Big East school that’s going to give to their alma mater more than I can.”
Repole took a positive spin on Pitino’s evisceration, saying that his track record as a coach gives him the benefit of the doubt.
“How amazing was it that St. John’s has a coach that wants to win so badly?… He’s a Hall of Fame coach. He knows how to motivate. He knows what he’s doing.”
While he backed the head coach, he also noted the timing of the donation as it came with all eyes on the program.
“Everyone can make a big difference, man. I just felt it was a great time to rally the troops.”
The motivational tactic worked for St. John’s on the court as they picked up a road conference victory over the Hoyas. It’s now done its job off the floor as the program looks to continue building under Rick Pitino.