News.Life

<img data-document-id="cms/api/amp/image/AA1C6HUN" data-reference="image" src="https://img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/AA1C6HUN.jpg"/>

 Cincinnati — Richard Pitino mentioned that he would only depart when the appropriate opportunity presented itself.
 New Mexico
 .


 He ultimately found one in an unexpected place.


 Pitino was introduced as
 Xavier
 On Tuesday, he was introduced as the new coach. Given Xavier’s tendency to hire coaches who were either previous assistants or had connections to the program, Pitino believed his likelihood of receiving a call from athletic director Greg Christopher was minimal until it occurred last week.


 "Things tend to unfold this way. You might have expectations about certain job opportunities coming your way. Then unexpectedly, an offer appears that seems incredible. That’s what happened with Xavier," Pitino stated at a press briefing.


 Since Thad Matta joined in 2000, this marks the first time Xavier has appointed a head coach with no prior connection to the team. After Sean Miller departed to take up the position at Texas on March 17, he had been elevated to his role in 2004 following Matta’s move to Ohio State. Over five years, Miller guided the program until moving to Arizona; however, he returned for another three-year stint starting in 2022.


 Chris Mack and Travis Steele were likewise previous assistants. Interestingly, shortly after Mack declared his intention to stay at the College of Charleston, Pitino was swiftly brought onboard.


 Pitino mentioned that his father, Rick Pitino who coaches for St. John's, urged him to remain at New Mexico until Xavier became an option, suggesting he should stay even if it entailed competing against each other twice annually within the same conference.


 Richard Pitino stated, “He observed how the community welcomed me in Albuquerque, our significant success, and noticed my happiness. After Xavier contacted him, his perspective shifted,” he explained. “I believe the compatibility here is excellent. This kind of environment truly resonates with me, making me feel at ease. Let me assure you; nobody was more supportive of choosing Xavier over anyone else than my father.”


 Pitino comes back to the Big East — having been a student at Providence College and an assistant at Louisville during his earlier tenure — following a four-year stint at New Mexico, where he guided the Lobos to consecutive NCAA tournament berths. This year, under his leadership, New Mexico finished with a record of 27-8 but were defeated by Michigan State 71-63 in the second round of the tournament.


 The 42-year-old Pitino earned Mountain West Coach of the Year honors this season following the Lobos' victory in securing the conference's regular-season championship. During his time at New Mexico, he achieved a record of 88 wins against 49 losses and boasts an overall coaching record of 247 wins to 186 losses.


 Christopher said the reason Pitino stood out as a candidate was how he rebounded at New Mexico after being fired at Minnesota. Pitino became a head coach in the Big Ten at age 30. He led the Golden Gophers for eight seasons -- including an NIT championship in his first season in 2014-15 as well as two trips to the NCAA tournament -- but was fired after two straight losing campaigns.


 "It's very clear he's hungry and incredibly competitive. Some of what fuels that drive is how he's been humbled. That was an important factor to me," Christopher said of Pitino. "How you handle adversity is really telling and we all face challenges. Handled the right way, adversity makes you better. And that is what's happened with Richard."


 Pitino is looking to bring the same aggressive style on both sides of the court that he had at New Mexico. It's also not much different from what Miller ran as both coaches like to run.


 On offense, the Lobos averaged 81.1 points, which led the Mountain West and was 26th in Division I. They averaged 16.2 fast-break points, third best in Division I.


 Defensively, New Mexico forced 15.2 turnovers per game, 14th in Division I.


 "It's not real hard to sell a vision of we don't want to run a bunch of set plays and walk the ball up the court. Not as many set plays, and honestly, it's similar to what they ran with coach Miller ran here in the past. We talked a lot about it," Pitino said. "It's hard, but it's a fun way to play."


 Pitino's first task will be rebuilding Xavier's roster, which has only two scholarship players remaining after Miller's departure and the opening of the transfer portal. Pitino is bringing most of his staff from New Mexico.


 "It's very challenging to build a whole roster. It's way more doable now in the current landscape than ever before, but we're going to be patient," he said.

Richard Pitino Can't Resist the Call to Lead Xavier

Unknown coaching, college basketball, news, recruiters, recruiting

Cincinnati — Richard Pitino mentioned that he would only depart when the appropriate opportunity presented itself. New Mexico . He ultimately found one in an unexpected place. Pitino was introdu…