“I’ve made my mistakes, but I’ve always run a clean program” - Rick Pitino speaks candidly about scandals in past
Rick Pitino is known as one of the top coaches in college basketball. The Hall of Fame coach was hired by St. John's on Monday, injecting excitement into the New York basketball scene.
Pitino has been coaching at Iona since the 2020 season. But his resume is one of the most impressive in the NCAA. Pitino's college coaching career is most recognizable for his tenure with three different programs. Those schools include Providence, Kentucky and Louisville. He's one of two men's coaches in NCAA tournament history to coach three different programs to a Final Four appearance.
After an impressive tenure from 1989-1997 with the Kentucky Wildcats, Pitino took his talents to the NBA to coach the Boston Celtics. Just four years later, Pitino found himself back at the collegiate ranks with Louisville. He was with the Cardinals from 2001-2017.
But an FBI investigation into corruption in college basketball led to the university firing Pitino. ESPN's Sage Steele reported on Sportscenter that Pitino has said that he's "always run a clean program."
“One thing I can tell you is I’ve made my mistakes," Pitino said. "But I’ve always run a clean program, I’ve never, ever — I got cited for violations of failure to monitor my assistant coaches. But nowhere along the way did the NCAA ever find any wrongdoing on my part.
"I’ve never cheated in the game. I have too much respect for the game to do that. I believe in hard work. I believe in the strong work ethic second to none."
Rick Pitino refutes suggestion of prior NCAA wrongdoings.
“One thing I can tell you is I’ve made my mistakes. But I’ve always run a clean program.”
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Rick Pitino looks to get St. John's back on track
Rick Pitino has been one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history. After successful stints with Providence and Kentucky, Pitino turned Louisville into a powerhouse before an FBI investigation led to his firing.
Pitino then spent years coaching overseas, including a stint coaching in Greece. Iona hired him in 2020. He agreed to terms on Monday to become St. John's coach. The deal is reportedly for six years.
St. John's names Rick Pitino new head men's basketball coach
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The Big East has a rich history of being one of college basketball's most legendary conferences. In recent years, it has struggled to generate a competitive conference.
The hope is that Pitino has the tools to get the Red Storm back into the hunt of becoming a high-caliber program in the Big East. Pitino, who is originally from New York, should bring excitement to a passionate basketball fan base.