Rick Pitino signs restructured contract to stay at St. John's
St. John's head coach Rick Pitino celebrates a 67-65 victory against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena at San Diego State University on March 22 in San Diego. Credit: Getty Images/Sean M. Haffey
St. John’s coach Rick Pitino has signed a restructured contract with the school, he told Newsday on Sunday.
Two high-ranking school officials told Newsday it will make him the second-highest paid coach in the Big East and that it paves the way for the Hall of Famer to head the Red Storm for at least three more seasons.
The contract offer from the school, first reported by Newsday, primarily addresses the final three years of the six-year deal he initially signed with St. John’s when they hired him away from Iona after the 2022-23 season. It also adds provisions for him to coach longer than three more years.
“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,” athletic director Ed Kull said. “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.”
Pitino has 915 career victories and, after win No. 900 on Jan. 24, he indicated interest in pursuing the 1,000-victory mark if his health permits. Over his three seasons at St. John’s, the Red Storm have averaged 27 wins.
The restructured deal gives Pitino a salary that averages in the neighborhood of $6.5 million annually over the first three years and, as the previous one did, includes incentives that could make it even more lucrative. The list of incentives includes ones for reaching a Final Four or winning a national championship.
“We’ve been in agreement, but really completing this was about getting some signatures on paper,” one of the administration sources, who requested anonymity, told Newsday on Selection Sunday.
“St. John’s wants to be where Rick Pitino finishes his coaching career, whenever he wants to stop,” said the other administration source, who also requested anonymity.
The terms of Pitino’s deal were all but completed months ago. The final sticking point that delayed completing the deal was financially increasing the pool that will pay Pitino’s staff. The school met those requests last week. Pitino had already signed the deal before St. John’s 80-75 loss to Duke in Friday night’s NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal.
Communicating via text message, Pitino said he is taking two weeks to ruminate over whether he wants to continue coaching. He has said a number of things over the past months that suggest he will return.
Connecticut’s Dan Hurley became the highest-paid coach in the Big East after his team won a second consecutive national championship in 2024. His deal was reportedly for $50 million over a six-year term.
Pitino’s original deal paid between $3 million and $3.5 million annually and was lucrative at the time but now ranks in the middle of the pack for conference coaches. Two former Pitino assistants were earning more. Villanova’s Kevin Willard, hired before this season, reportedly earns approximately $5 million annually. Pitino’s son, Richard Pitino, was also hired before this season by Xavier and reportedly is earning more than $4 million annually.
In his first three seasons, Pitino’s Red Storm have an 81-25 record and have won the Big East outright regular-season championship and the Big East Tournament championship in consecutive seasons, a first in conference history. St. John’s has reached the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons and just made the Sweet 16 this season for the first time since 1999.
Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
