It was another season to remember for St John’s and Rick Pitino, highlighted by back-to-back Big East regular season and tournament championships and a deep NCAA Tournament run.
Led by senior center and likely NBA-bound Zuby Ejiofor, the Red Storm reached the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1999.
After a spectacular buzzer-beater win over Kansas in the second round and a crushing close defeat to Duke, attention has quickly shifted towards the future of the program and Pitino.
St John’s Receive Major Rick Pitino Contract Update
With Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell and Bryce Hopkins among the notable departures this offseason, St John’s are expected to be aggressive in the transfer portal once again.
As roster turnover looms, the Johnnies have received a major boost regarding the long-term future of their revitalized program.
The New York Post’s Zach Braziller has reported that Pitino has agreed to a “lucractive” contract extension with St John’s.
Braziller states that the agreement will adjust the 73-year-old’s current deal and add an additional year, extending it through the end of the 2029-30 season.
“The two sides have been talking for quite some time on the deal, which will include a significant pay raise not only for Pitino — making him the league’s second-highest-paid coach after Connecticut’s Dan Hurley — but also for his entire coaching staff,” Braziller wrote. “The latter was the final sticking point to the deal.”
It has been reported that Pitino will now earn around $6 million annually. Connecticut’s Dan Hurley remains the Big East’s highest-paid coach at $8.33 million per season.
Kansas’ Bill Self is currently college basketball’s highest paid coach, earning $8.8 million per season, according to USA Today.
Pitino’s Rapid Turnaround Has Red Storm Back Among Elite
Pitino has transformed the St John’s program in just three years. After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2023-24, the Red Storm reached the second round in 2024-25 before taking another step forward this season.
Across his three year tenure, Pitino holds an impressive 81-23 record, with 13 of those losses coming in his first season alone.
Over the past two seasons, St John’s has gone 61-12 with Pitino leading the way.
“We’re thrilled that Coach Pitino has signed a new agreement to remain at St. John’s, a deal that will keep him in Queens through the end of the decade,” athletic director Ed Kull said in a statement, via Spectrum News NY 1. “This extension reflects our strong confidence in his leadership, vision, and commitment to our student-athletes.
“Coach Pitino has changed the culture of our community and we want his presence to be felt on this campus for years to come. We look forward to more Big East championships and NCAA Tournament runs with Coach Pitino at the helm.”
While Pitino and St John’s have reached an agreement, an official announcement on team socials may not be immediate.
“Reached by The Post, Pitino said he is going to take some time over the next week to make sure he wants to continue coaching,” Braziller added. “But all indications are that it is something he plans to continue doing, and he wouldn’t have signed the new deal otherwise.”
Rick Pitino has hinted on multiple occasions that he could either remain at St John’s or retire. However, after securing his 900th career win this season, the possibility of reaching 1,000 now feels within reach.
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