Two thieves stole a ceremonial sword and a bullhorn from the office of St. John’s University Coach Rick Pitino in Queens, New York, as confirmed by a spokesperson for the Catholic institution. The incident occurred on Tuesday evening at the athletics department offices above Carnesecca Arena, where Pitino’s team plays. The theft is under investigation by the police, and it is uncertain if other items were taken from the Hall of Fame coach’s office or other areas of the building.
According to police, the unauthorized entry by the two individuals resulted in the removal of several items before they fled on a moped traveling westbound on Union Turnpike. Surveillance footage released by the department depicts the pair walking through the building, one carrying the stolen sword and the other with the bullhorn.
Pitino, a native of New York City and Long Island, took on the role at St. John’s last year in an effort to rejuvenate the Big East program. Despite winning NCAA championships at Kentucky in 1996 and at Louisville in 2013 (later vacated due to NCAA violations), Pitino’s coaching career has had its challenges. He was fired from Louisville in 2017 following an NCAA case linked to a corruption investigation in college basketball recruiting. However, he was subsequently cleared by the NCAA.
Before joining St. John’s, the 71-year-old spent three seasons coaching at Iona College in New Rochelle, north of NYC. Pitino’s extensive coaching career includes stints with the NBA’s New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, Boston University, Providence College, and the professional team Panathinaikos in Athens, Greece.
