“He lives and dies basketball, as a player you can’t not want that,” said former Panathinaikos captain Nick Calathes about Rick Pitino. The 72-year-old legend has never been one to shy away from change—whether it’s the NBA, NCAA, EuroLeague, or even national teams. Pitino has done it all and thrived, proving time and again that his passion for the game knows no bounds.

Born and raised in Bayville, New York, Pitino attended St. Dominic High School, where he was the captain of the basketball team. In 1970, Rick headed to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he made a name for himself as a talented point guard for the Minutemen and earned himself the nickname of ‘Rifle Rick’.

But with all these accolades, be it his basketball career or coaching journey, one question still remains: How much is this basketball legend getting paid?

What is Rick Pitino’s contract with the St. John’s Red Storm? How long is the deal?

Pitino signed a lucrative deal with St. John’s not long after his Iona Gaels were eliminated from the 2023 NCAA tournament. Pitino’s current contract runs for six years – with the value of the deal set at an estimated $20 million. Despite his age (72), the legendary college coach commands an average annual salary of $3.3 million for his services through the 2028-29 NCAA season. This salary came after St. John’s parted ways with former head coach Mike Anderson.

Before he signed with St. John’s, Pitino made it known that any possible association would require the right support and investment. In a series of conversations with St. John’s officials, Pitino made sure the school would see it his way and give him what he wanted in a high-powered Big East. Those talks went well, and the six-year contract soon followed.

How much will Rick Pitino earn in the 2024-25 NCAA season?

For the 2024-25 season, Pitino will still rake in the same $3.3 million laid out in his contract. But compared to other coaches in the college basketball ranks, that salary is on the lower end. According to USA Today, 23 college basketball coaches are making at least $4 million during the 2024-25 season. Some coaches, such as Kansas’s Bill Self and Arkansas’s John Calipari, are making around $8 million a year.

Pitino’s check does not compare to the high earners, but that does not take away from his phenomenal career. The dude is a Hall-of-Fame coach with multiple championships under his name. Nonetheless, it is a reminder that even some legends, such as Pitino, can be out of the top bracket in salaries.

Still, Pitino’s $3.3 million isn’t too shabby, all things considered. For the job, $3.3 million was solid. At 72, Pitino isn’t in it for the money. He’s in it to still be in it.

What was Rick Pitino’s previous contract with the St. John’s Red Storm?

To clarify, Pitino had no previous deal with St. John’s. The six-year deal signed in 2023 was his first with the school. The 2023-2024 season is his first at St. John’s after coming over from Iona College, where Pitino led the Gaels to two NCAA tournament appearances. Pitino’s resume is far from mid-major centric, though. He’s also held coaching positions at Louisville, Kentucky and Providence.

Pitino made a whopping $7.7 million a year at Louisville. Even if he intended for his stint at St. John’s to be a one more go-round on the carousel to keep a paycheck, replacing $7.7 million with $3.3 could feel like more than a paycut. It could feel like he’s entering a high-pressure situation while the program is betting the entire house on him.

Interestingly, in early 2025, Pitino spoke on rumors about leaving St. John’s for other jobs. He had been rumored to be in consideration for the Indiana University job. However, Pitino completely closed the door on leaving St. John’s for another college opportunity. Pitino said the following to The New York Post when he was asked about the IU job. “I will not take any other college job. I can assure you of that. It’s St. John’s, retirement, EuroLeague, [live in] Miami — not university,” Pitino said to The New York Post during the interview. So for now, it seems that Pitino is still set with St. John’s.

What is Rick Pitino’s net worth in 2025?

Pitino’s salary tells only part of the story when it comes to his financial situation. As of January 2025, Pitino’s net worth was roughly $45 million, per Celebrity Net Worth. He accumulated that wealth during a lengthy coaching career, both in college basketball and in the NBA, never mind his gigs coaching internationally. Safe to say that Pitino is not coaching St. John’s on a lesser salary due to financial need.

Additionally, Pitino’s personal financial gain has influenced his perspective on the business of college basketball. In an interview, the coach presented himself as a supporter of players profiting through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals. “I’m not anti-NIL. Tom Izzo’s anti-NIL, Jay Wright was, Tony Bennett was anti-portal. I’m not anti that at all. I felt that we’ve been making millions of dollars all those years. The players should make money, so I’m for that,” Pitino said. His remarks are emblematic of his expressed belief that players deserve to benefit, as coaches do, from the millions of dollars being pumped into college basketball programs.

Despite his resources, Pitino has been adamant he’s not doing this for a paycheck. He’s demonstrated that he has no desire to rest on his net worth of $45 million, alluding that he is only interested in winning at St. John’s and nothing else.

In conclusion, while Rick Pitino’s contract with St. John’s does not put him at the top of the coaching pay scale, it does prove that his commitment to the game and to the university is the real deal. Whether he is leading his team to the top of the Big East or leading us into the new world of NIL, Pitino has shown that his career in basketball is far from over.