After the Seton Hall Pirates defeated the St. John’s Red Storm, 68-62, Rick Pitino expressed his dissatisfaction with the game, calling it the most unenjoyable experience of his lifetime. He criticized his team’s lack of toughness, the facilities, and the failure of his assistants to recruit players that fit his preferred system. Pitino also vented his frustration about the slow performance of some of his players.
This was a significant departure from the patience and goodwill he had received since taking over as the coach. Despite the recent slide of the team, Pitino had been given a pass for his inability to keep the team moving forward and his lack of success in coaching.
He acknowledged the poor state of St. John’s facilities and expressed his regret for failing to put together a team effectively. Pitino’s first-year coaching record has been consistent with this trend of struggling in the first year before turning things around in the second year.
He emphasized that the current landscape of college basketball with the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal has made it more challenging to succeed. Pitino never guaranteed an NCAA bid in his first year but had promised that the team would improve over time.
St. John’s hired Pitino to rebuild and reestablish infrastructure, interest, excitement, and prosperity in the program. He has made significant progress in the first three areas, but the last one remains the most challenging. Despite his reaction to the team’s performance, there is still hope that he will be able to lead the program to success.
Pitino’s criticism of his players and coaches, while having merit, was seen as inappropriate. His actions have raised concerns about his leadership and accountability for the team’s performance.
