On March 1, 2025, Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Red Storm won the Big East regular-season title for the first time in 33 years. Not only was this Pitino’s fifth conference title at different schools, on this night, he became the first coach in college basketball to do so. While Pitino revels in this huge victory. We’d like to take a minute to recognize the woman who stood beside him through it all. His wife, Joanne Minardi.

Their almost 50-year marriage has weathered plenty of ups and downs, both personal and professional. But through it all, Joanne has been a mainstay in Rick’s life, proving that the couple can weather whatever life throws at them.

A high school romance that stood the test of time

Rick Pitino and Joanne Minardi’s story started in the early 1970s when both were students at St. Dominic’s High School in Oyster Bay, Long Island. But it wasn’t until 1974 — when Rick was a young assistant coach and Joanne was working as a flight attendant — that they finally hit it off. Despite the demands of their careers, they made time to nurture their bond. Two years later, they tied the knot on April 3, 1976.

Rick and Joanne now have a lovely family together, including five children: Michael, Christopher, Richard (now head coach of the New Mexico Lobos), Ryan, and Jacqueline. But their happiness had not been without its darker moments. In 1987, they suffered the heartbreaking loss of their son Daniel, who died of congenital heart failure at six months old.

It was a heartbreak that no parent ought to have to endure. Still, instead of succumbing to grief, they decided to honor Daniel’s memory. They did so by founding the Daniel Pitino Foundation and the Daniel Pitino Shelter in Owensboro, Ky. Not only did those acts of kindness help reverse other people’s suffering, but they also gave the couple a way to leverage their grief for good.

Another crushing loss came when her brother, Billy Minardi, lost his life in the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Billy, who was Rick’s best friend, was a bond trader for Cantor Fitzgerald in the World Trade Center’s North Tower when it was hit. It was another blow that left an indelible mark on Joanne and her family. “I’m sort of emotionally spent,” the coach would admit a few weeks into the tragedy. ” “The only solace I get is when I’m on the court four hours a day for individual instruction. That’s my only escape.” 

But once again, the couple found strength in each other in their shared mourning.

Through thick and thin: Joanne Minardi’s love for Rick Pitino

Although they remain firm together, their relationship has not always been a smooth sail. It underwent probably its most bitter test in 2003, even though the incident was made public in 2009. That year, Rick Pitino got involved in a controversy with a woman named Karen Cunagin Sypher.

The Cardinal’s coach reportedly had an affair with Cunagin, which eventually led to a pregnancy, and Pitino paid $3,000 to her, allegedly for having an abortion. In 2009, Cunagin Sypher demanded Pitino pay her $10 million in exchange for keeping quiet about their affair.

The scandal was a huge blow. Following Pitino’s admission, the incident went to trial. Despite it all, Joanne stayed with her husband. The couple went through counselling to deal with the aftermath. Rick later admitted that his marriage had come out stronger on the other side.

Then in 2017, another scandal upended their lives. Rick Pitino was caught up in a recruiting scandal at the University of Louisville. He was fired, and public scrutiny magnified. Joanne never left Rick’s side and in all the heat, she proved to be Rick’s rock once again.

While these events may have proved challenging in their marriage, they repeatedly opted to confront them directly. And have remained steadfast in their love and devotion to one another. “He has the capacity to nurture and love so much,” she’d say as the coach added a second national championship game to his resume.

Pitinos know their relationship wasn’t built on flimsy sports accolades; it was built on love, trust, and loyalty.