After a 4-0 start to the season, St. John’s Red Storm has won only one in the last three. Coach Rick Pitino said, “We’re certainly not a great team, but we’re a pretty good team.” The 72-year-old wanted to prove what his team was made of before they faced Havard. But it seems like the coach is currently going through a tough time personally that he also opened up about on social media.

“RIP my rock star best friend. You are already looking down on us.” That was the first tweet from Rick Pitino, and a few minutes earlier, he tweeted: “RIP Fr Bradley you were a big part of our team and the Pitino family. This day can’t pass soon enough.” However, it is unclear at the time who the coach is referring to. It’s probably someone very close to him if he’s using ‘best friend’ for them.

Now, could this have any effects on game day against Harvard Crimson? Right after Thanksgiving, nobody would anticipate mourning a loss, but that’s what the former Celtics coach is facing. But, unfortunately, this is not the first time the coach finds himself face-to-face with grief.

Three years ago, Rick Pitino opened up about losing his other best friend and brother-in-law, Billy Minardi. “Life was never quite as good without him. When he walked in the room, the room lit up, and when he left the room, it got dimmer.” The coach spoke about the loss to the New York Post. Minardi had been one of the thousands of victims in the World Trade Center Attacks.

Despite the grief, he stood by Minardi’s family like a rock. “Any time I ever needed to talk to him about anything, he’s right there. He’s done so much for us. He’s always tried to honor my dad in everything he does, which is always appreciated.” Billy Minardi’s son, Willie, spoke highly about the contributions and efforts of the coach Rick Pitino during the hard times. Their bond must have been truly special for the coach to honor his friend like that.

Rick Pitino shared about his close bond with his brother-in-law

When 2x MAAC Coach of the Year was a senior at St. Dominic on Long Island, he met a freshman and forged a bond of a lifetime. The coach would eventually date his future wife, who was Billy Minardi’s older sister, Joanne. Over time, their bond only got stronger over their shared passion for golf, horse racing, and basketball.

So, when Rick Pitino was coaching the Knicks, Minardi was the one who was almost always behind the bench. Not only did he cheer his close friend but also convinced him to return to college basketball. Since the spell with the Boston Celtics ended in 2001, and didn’t turn out how the coach had anticipated.

“The pain never goes away. I have so many pictures in my office, so many pictures in my home — every Final Four, every big moment in my life from a sports standpoint and a family standpoint he was involved in.” Pitino explained in the same interview to the New York Post.

All we wish for is strength for Pitino as goes through this tough time. We hope that he is still able to coach his team for their upcoming matchup in the face of this disturbing loss.