Rick Pitino’s reception as coach at St John’s: ‘I earned it’

NEW YORK – “Welcome to Rick Pitino,” the video banner above the entrance to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday read.

Kind of like welcoming you back to the new St John’s coach.

Return to the park, where Knicks once trained.

Back in the Big East, the conference that launched his stardom and where he won his most recent NCAA championship.

Returning to college basketball after a string of scandals made it seem as if that part of his career was over.

“So, when I went to Iona, I said Iona would be my last job,” Pitino said at his inaugural press conference at MSG. “And the reason I said is, who would hire a 70-year-old? No matter how Peter Pan I think of myself, who would hire a 70-year-old?”

St. John’s has awarded the Hall of Famer a six-year contract to turn back the clock on a program that once stole New York City’s tabloid headlines away from the Knicks in the ’80s under head coach Lou Karniska, but has been mired in mediocrity for more than two decades.

The Red Storm once played most of its biggest home games at the park. The goal, Pitino said, is to play all of their Big East games there.

“Lew built a program that is legendary. Legendary,” said Pitino. “I’m into everything St. John’s stands for. I’m excited about it. I can’t wait to get started.”

“And it will start with a work culture.”

Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Pitino won 832 games in 34 full seasons as a college coach, including NCAA championships at Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013.

The Louisville title was vacated due to NCAA violations, and another NCAA case involving an FBI investigation of corruption in college basketball recruiting led to Pitino’s expulsion by Louisville in 2017.

The final ruling by the NCAA’s external enforcement arm on the FBI case came in November and acquitted Pitino.

There was also a criminal racketeering case that Pitino was a victim of during his time in Louisville that exposed personal indiscretions.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what you believe in, what you don’t believe,” said Pitino. “The one thing all the players said, because they all wrote me letters: I never cheated the game. I never gave a player anything they didn’t deserve in life.”

St John’s Rector, Rev. Brian Shanley, said the decision to appoint Pitino was his calling.

“Yeah, sure, there’s some reputational risk because of things that have happened before, but I think Rick is at a point in his life where he’s learned from things that have happened in the past,” Shanley told the AP. “I think he’ll be the first to tell you he’s done things he regrets. Who doesn’t when you get to that age? I know I do. I’m a believer in forgiveness and new beginnings as a priest, and I think Rick will do a great job for St. John.”

Carnesica, 98, who has been walking around with the aid of a walker these days, sat front row at Pitino’s press conference.

“I think it’s a home run with the bases loaded,” Karnicica said.

Carnesica was one of the Big East’s brightest coaching stars, along with Georgetown’s John Thompson and Villanova’s Rollie Massimino, when Pitino became Providence’s head coach in 1985 at the age of 32.

Thirty-eight years later, Pitino’s Providence connections helped him land a St. Louis Cardinal. John’s after three seasons at Iona, a small Catholic school in New Rochelle, upstate New York City.

Shanley was formerly President of Providence. He helped transform the late bloomers men’s basketball program by hiring head coach Ed Cooley and investing in facility upgrades.

“If I had not been a monk from Providence, he would not have even thought about it,” said Pitino.

Shanley tried to lure Pitino away from Louisville and back to Providence years ago, but he didn’t know much about the coach personally at the time. He said he talked to a lot of people about Pitino this time around.

“I would say the wise person behind the scenes was Mike Trangiz, former commissioner of the Big East,” Shanley said. “Ed Cooley got me last, and I think we got off really well this time too.”

Georgetown named a collie on Monday.

Pitino said he has brought his entire staff with him from Iona, which earlier today announced the hiring of Fairleigh Dickinson coach Tobin Anderson to replace Pitino.

Pitino would attempt to become the first coach to take six schools to the NCAA Tournament as he gets another shot on the big stage.

He said, “I deserve it because I earned it.”