Family Feud Flares in Rick Pitino Family as St. John’s Coach Faces Tough Question From Son Richard Pitino

Rick Pitino is done with sportsmanship—or at least the traditional way of showing it! The iconic post-game handshake line has long been a staple of collegiate basketball, valued for teaching young athletes the importance of respect and sportsmanship. But for Pitino and his St. John’s men’s basketball team, that tradition is officially a thing of the past.

The legendary coach recently announced that he’s putting an end to the post-game handshake line, effective immediately. Wasting no time, Pitino took to his official Twitter account to explain his decision in a note that left fans buzzing.

“I certainly have great respect for the coaches and teams we play,” Pitino tweeted, “but after witnessing multiple problems with the postgame handshake line, we will take a page out of the NBA playbook and refrain.” Well, it all came after an altercation during the handshake line following the St. John’s game against Bryant.

Tensions flared, resulting in an altercation that required coaches to step in and de-escalate the situation. This led the St. John’s head coach to announce a decision to stop his team from participating in post-game handshakes, aiming to prevent similar conflicts in the future.

The tweet caught the attention of many, including Rick’s son, Richard Pitino, who couldn’t resist chiming in. “So are you shaking hands or not?!?!?!” Richard replied on X.

While the exact tone of the comment is up for debate, it came off as a humorous jab at his father’s sudden announcement. Well, it wasn’t the first time when Richard had mocked his father.

Richard Pitino’s career has no plans for Dad’s shoes

Richard Pitino, one of Rick Pitino’s five children with wife Joanne, is the only one who has ventured into college basketball coaching. His coaching journey began in the early 2000s while he was still a student at Providence.

Given his career path, it’s natural to wonder if Richard plans to follow in his father’s footsteps at St. John’s. However, the younger Pitino has made it clear that succession isn’t part of the plan—despite Rick’s apparent wishes.

Last February, Rick publicly stated that he hoped Richard would stay in New Mexico until Rick was ready to leave St. John’s, and then step in as his successor.

Richard, however, dismissed the idea entirely. “I thought, ‘Oh, there’s my dad saying another insane thing, hopefully, nobody’s listening to him,’” Richard joked during a Zoom call ahead of New Mexico’s game against No. 22 St. John’s at the NYC Hoops for Heroes Classic at Madison Square Garden.

“I think he was probably messing around. I’m not sure where that came from. That’s never, ever been a conversation that we’ve had,” he further added.

Richard’s comments were a direct rejection of the idea, making it clear his father wasn’t being serious. This exchange came just before the fourth matchup between the two as opposing head coaches, with Rick holding a 2-1 record.

Richard earned his first win over his father on December 18, 2022, when Rick was coaching at Iona University. That game may turn out to be the last time they face off.

At 72, Rick Pitino’s future in coaching remains uncertain. While he has said he’ll continue as long as he’s healthy, there’s no telling how much longer that will be. Richard, for his part, is sticking to his own path—and firmly closing the door on any plans to take over at St. John’s.