St. John's AD Reacts to Rick Pitino News After NCAA Tournament Loss

The St. John’s Red Storm's NCAA Tournament run ended over the weekend with an 80-75 loss in the Sweet 16 to the Duke Blue Devils, marking the conclusion of head coach Rick Pitino's third season with the program.

Pitino has been at the center of a major resurgence in Johnnies basketball, and on Sunday, he officially signed a restructured contract with the university. The new deal makes him the second-highest paid coach in the Big East behind UConn's Dan Hurley and adds an extra year to his contract, which was previously set to run through the 2028–29 season.

St. John’s athletic director Ed Kull reacted to the news via NJ Advanced Media's Adam Zagoria, who first reported the deal early Sunday morning.

"We’re thrilled that Coach Pitino has signed a new agreement to remain at St. John’s, a deal that will keep him in Queens through the end of the decade," Kull said in a statement. "This extension reflects our strong confidence in his leadership, vision, and commitment to our student-athletes. Coach Pitino has changed the culture of our community, and we want his presence to be felt on this campus for years to come. We look forward to more Big East championships and NCAA Tournament runs with Coach Pitino at the helm."

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Before Pitino took over, St. John’s consistently hovered near the bottom of the Big East. In just three years, he's turned the program around - guiding the team to the NCAA Tournament twice, securing back-to-back regular season and conference tournament titles, and steadily moving the program in the right direction.

Last year, the Red Storm reached the Round of 32; this season, they advanced to the Sweet 16. While the team will experience some roster turnover - losing key players such as Zuby Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins - Pitino is expected to be active in the transfer portal, which opens on April 7 for a two-week period.

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This story was originally published March 30, 2026 at 10:22 AM.