Sources: St. John’s intends to rent Rick Pitino as head basketball coach

St. John’s has one purpose in thoughts now: Full a take care of Rick Pitino to be the Purple Storm’s subsequent head coach.

Sources near this system inform FOX Sports activities that the college plans to finalize a take care of the Corridor of Famer within the coming days. It has been reported that Pitino has a mutual curiosity in taking on the Purple Storm.

Pitino’s Iona Gaels concluded their season with an 87-63 loss to UConn on Friday within the first spherical of the NCAA Event. 

Pitino, 70, is the one coach in school basketball historical past to steer three packages — Windfall, Kentucky and Louisville — to the Closing 4, and has received 711 video games in his teaching profession. He received nationwide championship in 1996 (Kentucky) and 2013 (Louisville, which was later vacated).

For St. John’s college president Brian Shanley and athletic director Mike Cragg, this teaching search is about turning the Purple Storm again right into a related power in school basketball, sources inform FOX Sports activities. This system missed 4 straight NCAA Tournaments underneath Mike Anderson and has not received a sport within the large dance in 23 years.

For Pitino, who lives at Winged Foot Golf Membership in Mamaroneck, N.Y., the prospect of teaching St. John’s means he doesn’t have to maneuver, with the course being roughly 23 miles from the St. John’s College campus.

The transfer again to Queens offers him the chance to step foot again within the Large East Convention, the place he was from 1985-87 whereas at Windfall, then from 2005-13 whereas at Louisville.

For a St. John’s program that has spent a number of years off the nationwide map in school basketball, this transfer to amass Pitino, who’s now not tied right down to NCAA investigation or menace of sanctions, indicators a transparent need to win by the Purple Storm and to return to relevance in New York Metropolis.

John Fanta is a nationwide school basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in a wide range of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Subject of 68 Media Community. Comply with him on Twitter @John_Fanta.

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