Xavier has announced the hiring of Richard Pitino as its new basketball head coach, marking an intriguing development for the upcoming Big East season where he will face off against his father, Rick Pitino, the head coach at St. John’s University.
The younger Pitino assumes the role after a significant tenure at New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Under his guidance, New Mexico achieved a 27-8 record this season before being ousted by Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA tournament with a score of 71-63.
Expressing his excitement, Richard Pitino remarked, “Xavier is one of the great brands in all of college basketball. It has always been a dream of mine to coach in the Big East. The Cintas Center is going to be rocking. I can’t wait to get to work.” His achievement as the Mountain West Coach of the Year underscores his success, which included the Lobos winning the conference’s regular-season title. At New Mexico, he tallied an 88-49 record and boasts an overall coaching record of 247-186.
Xavier wasted no time in filling the vacancy left by Sean Miller, who departed for the Texas job, especially after Chris Mack, formerly with Xavier for nine seasons, chose to remain with the College of Charleston. This opportunity at Xavier will represent the fourth head coaching position for Pitino, who previously held positions at Florida International and Minnesota.
Athletic director Greg Christopher praised Pitino’s remarkable coaching resume, highlighting his head coaching success at both New Mexico and Minnesota, as well as his impressive tenure as an assistant coach alongside his father at Louisville and under Billy Donovan at Florida. Christopher noted that despite substantial interest in the coaching position, Pitino emerged as the standout choice to guide Xavier towards triumphs in the Big East and the NCAA Tournament.
Pitino acknowledged that the level of investment in a school’s basketball program would be a significant factor in his career choices. He emphasized the impact of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) agreements and revenue sharing, stating, “Do I think that NIL and rev share (revenue sharing) is everything? No, I don’t, but if you don’t have it, you have no chance.” He added that discussions with any athletic director would naturally revolve around the program’s investment and future potential.
The father-son dynamic will certainly add intrigue to the Big East, as Richard and Rick Pitino, who was awarded Big East Coach of the Year in the 2024-25 season for guiding St. John’s to a historic conference championship, will face each other at least twice each year in conference play.
As Richard Pitino takes over a revitalized Xavier program, the team, under Sean Miller’s second stint, has made significant strides, including reaching the NCAA Tournament twice in the past three years. Last season saw them with a 22-12 record, progressing through the First Four before being defeated by Illinois in the main bracket.
Reflecting on his coaching philosophy, Pitino stated, “I would say now more so than younger in my career, I understand it’s not about an out-of-bounds play or a turnover. It’s about the program that you build.” He stressed the importance of focusing on the comprehensive development of his program and players over individual accolades.
As Pitino transitions to Xavier, it remains uncertain whether he will bring any of his notable talents from New Mexico, such as Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent and fellow guard Tru Washington, both of whom have entered the transfer portal.
