Rick Pitino returns to big stage at St. John’s: ‘I’ve earned it’

NEW YORK (AP)— The video banner above the entrance to Madison Square Garden onTuesday read: “Welcome Rick Pitino.”

More likewelcome back for thenew St. John’s coach.

Back to TheGarden, where he once coached the Knicks.

Back to theBig East, the conference that launched his stardom and where he wonhis last NCAA championship.

Back tobig-time college basketball after a series of scandals made it seemas if that part of his career was over.

“So, when Iwent to Iona, I said that Iona was going to be my last job,” Pitinosaid at his introductory news conference at MSG. “And the reason Isaid that is who’s going to hire a 70-year-old ? No matter how muchI think I’m Peter Pan, who’s going hire a 70-year-old?”

St. John’sgave the Hall of Famer a six-year contract to turn back the clockon a program that once stole New York City tabloid headlines awayfrom the Knicks in the 1980s under coach Lou Carnesecca but hasbeen mired in mediocrity for more than two decades.

The Red Stormonce played most of their biggest home games at The Garden. Pitinosaid the goal is to have all their Big East games played theregoing forward.

“Lou built alegendary program. Legendary,” Pitino said. “I’m all in witheverything that St. John stands for. I’m excited about it. I can’twait to get started.

“And it’sgoing to start with a culture of work.”

Pitino, whowas born in New York City and grew up on Long Island, has won 832games in 34 full seasons as a college head coach, including NCAAchampionships at Kentucky in 1996 and Louisville in 2013.

The title atLouisville wasvacated for NCAAviolations,and another NCAA case related to the FBI’sinvestigation into corruption in college basketball recruiting ledto Pitino being fired by Louisville in 2017.

The final rulingfrom theNCAA’s outside enforcement arm on the FBI case came down inNovember and exonerated Pitino.

There wasalso acriminal extortioncasein which Pitino was the victim during his time atLouisville that revealed personal indiscretions.

“Well, itdoesn’t matter what you believe, what you don’t believe,” Pitinosaid. “The one thing all my players have said, because they allwrote letters for me: I’ve never cheated the game. I never gave aplayer anything that he didn’t deserve in life.”

St. John’spresident, the Rev. Brian Shanley, said the decision to hire Pitinowas his call.

“Yeah, sure,there’s some reputational risk because of things that have happenedbefore, but I think Rick is at a point in his life where he’slearned from things that have happened in the past,” Shanley toldThe Associated Press. “I think he’d be the first one to tell youhe’s done things that he regrets. Who doesn’t when you get to bethat age? I know I have. I’m a believer in forgiveness and newbeginnings as a priest, and I think Rick’s going to do a great jobfor St. John’s.”

Carnesecca,98 and getting around with the help of a walker these days, sat inthe front row of Pitino’s news conference.

“I think it’sa home run with the bases loaded,” Carnesecca said.

Carneseccawas one of the Big East’s brightest coaching stars, along withGeorgetown’s John Thompson and Villanova’s Rollie Massimino, whenPitino became Providence head coach in 1985 at the age of 32.

Thirty-eightyears later, Pitino’s Providence ties helped him land at St. John’safter three seasons at Iona, a small Catholic school in NewRochelle, just north of New York City.

Shanleypreviously was the president of Providence. He helped turn around alagging men’s basketball program by hiring coach Ed Cooley andinvesting in facilities upgrades.

“If I wasn’ta Providence Friar, he would have never even considered it,” Pitinosaid.

Shanleyattempted to lure Pitino away from Louisville and back toProvidence years ago, but he didn’t know much about the coachpersonally back then. He said he talked to a lot of people aboutPitino this time around.

“I’d say mybehind-the-scenes wisdom person was Mike Tranghese, the formercommissioner of the Big East,” Shanley said. “He got me Ed Cooleylast time, and I think we came out pretty well this time, too.”

Cooleywashired by GeorgetownonMonday.

Pitino saidhe’s bringing his entire staff with him from Iona, which announcedthehiring of Fairleigh Dickinson coachTobin Anderson to replace Pitinoearlier in the day.

Pitino willtry to become the first coach to take six different schools to theNCAA Tournament as he gets one more shot on the big stage.

“I deserveit,” he said, “because I’ve earned it.”