“Dreamers are not content with being mediocre.” Some coaches transcend the sport– Coach K, Roy Williams, Phil Jackson–and then there are the ones you can never forget. The ones marred in controversy, but still so amazingly brilliant at their job. In the NCAA? Only two names come to mind. Jerry Tarkanian, famous for his stint at UNLV, and Rick Pitino.

But Pitino has something Tarkanian never did–redemption. The parallels between the two coaches are obvious to the naked eye, but the dissimilarities are coming to light now. After his controversial tenure at Louisville, Rick Pitino has his get back in the form of St. John’s basketball. Sure, there was the stint at Iona, but the Red Storm head coach has done something special with his squad this year.

Making the NCAA Tournament with such a program is quite tough, especially considering that it has been a decade since their last appearance in the Round of 64. But Pitino, as always, got it done. Pitino has become the first coach in NCAA Division I history to lead six different schools—Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, Iona, and now St. John’s—to the NCAA Tournament, a historic milestone that sets him apart from the other 67 coaches in this year’s field. Even Hall-of-Famer coach Jim Boeheim gave the St. John’s head coach his flowers.

On The Dan Patrick Show, Boeheim discussed how Rick Pitino’s brilliance is different from everyone else in college basketball. “Rick has a certain way of playing, and I thought it would take him a year or two, but he did it as he did in six schools. Six different schools. Losing records in six schools? NCAA Tournament in the second year, and championships, and Final Fours.” He said, pointing out how quickly Pitino turns a program around. Not only that, he had high praise for the Red Storm coach as well, affording him a heavy compliment.

“He’s probably the best coach of getting the most out of players in the history of basketball.” Boeheim said, and yes, you heard that right! The Syracuse legend awarded Pitino with such a high honor during his time with Dan Patrick, and he didn’t hesitate either. But why exactly is Rick Pitino such a great coach? “He can take anybody and get them to play. Louisville won a national championship with guys that very few guys recruited.”

Boeheim mentioned how his players at St. John’s aren’t exactly known either. The Red Storm comprises of a couple of four stars, and a lot of hopes. And Pitino has been incredible with how he has turned the program around. But how long can he keep it up for? According to Boeheim, the Red Storm head coach will be coaching even when he retires. But what does Rick Pitino have to say about it?

“I do know it’s coming to an end,”: Rick Pitino on the final years of his coaching career

Controversies aside, coaches like Rick Pitino are hard to find. The Hall-of-Famer coach has given it his all in the NCAA for his entire career, and his resume speaks for itself. But the fact of the matter is that he’s 72, how long can he keep doing this for? And well, he knows his age as well as we do!

With the Round of 64 drawing near, the Red Storm head coach reflected on how much he has left in the tank. “I don’t know if God will bless me with two, three, four more years, but if he does, it’s going to stop. So why not have a blast? Why not get the most out of it? Laugh, have fun, get great experiences.” The head coach said to reporters at the Amica Mutual Pavillion. His outlook towards coaching has been quite positive recently, and he explained why.

Rick Pitino talked about the struggles that a young coach has to face, how he had to work his way up the ladder. But now? After two NCAA championships, seven Final Fours, and many many years later? There’s no more ladder, he’s already at the top. “It’s laughter, it’s all the great things, but I do know it’s coming to an end.” 

But it’s not over just yet! Pitino’s Red Storm will be facing off against Omaha on the 21st, kicking off their journey at the Big Dance. The road ahead of them looks unclear, but one thing is for certain–St. John’s is not going down without a fight. Among the 67 other coaches, few match Pitino’s breadth of turnarounds or post-controversy resilience, a redemption arc culminating in St. John’s rise that underscores what he uniquely brings to the 2025 tournament. It looks like Rick Pitino still has one more championship left in him. Whether he will get it? Only time will tell.