CINCINNATI — No return of the Mack here — Xavier is hiring Richard Pitino as its next head men's basketball coach.
"Xavier is one of the great brands in all of college basketball … It has always been a dream of mine to coach in the BIG EAST," Pitino said in a statement. "The Cintas Center is going to be rocking. I can’t wait to get to work."
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein first posted on social media Tuesday night the son of Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino would be the next coach of the Muskies. Xavier AD Greg Christopher confirmed the news, saying they are "excited to welcome" Pitino.
The news came less than an hour after Chris Mack, a possible candidate for the job, announced he would be returning to the College of Charleston.
Richard Pitino comes to Xavier from New Mexico, where he took the Lobos to the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons. Most recently, Pitino's squad finished first in the Mountain West, going 27-8 with an upset win over the Big East's Marquette in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Before his time in Albuquerque, Pitino spent eight seasons in Minnesota, where the Golden Gophers made two NCAA tournament appearances. He was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for 2016-17 for his squad's dramatic turnaround, going from 8-23 to 24-10. He was fired in 2021 after finishing the season below .500.
Joining the Big East means Pitino will get to play his father multiple times a season as the elder Pitino coaches the 2025 Big East champs, St. John's.
Xavier's former coach, Sean Miller, was introduced as the newest head coach for the Texas Longhorns Monday afternoon. Miller took the job just days after the Muskies knocked Texas out of the NCAA tournament during the First Four in Dayton.
