Rick Pitino is set to start his third season as St. John’s head coach after a solid 2025 campaign. The two-time college basketball champion coach has taken the program to a 51-18 record in his first two seasons, including a 31-5 record last year.
While the season ended with a second-round loss to John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks, the Red Storm are an intriguing team for the 2025-26 season.
St. John’s has been very active in the transfer portal, adding multiple talented players to a roster that suffered some losses in the offseason. Pitino welcomed Handje Tamba from Milligan College, Dillon Mitchell from Cincinnati, Dylan Darling from Idaho State, and Ian Jackson from UNC, among others, to face a new season in which they could make a deep run.
Rick Pitino raves about St. John’s offseason moves ahead of NCAA season
Following their first NCAA tournament participation since 2020, the Red Storm are set to go further and compete for more important things. With that in mind, Pitino talked with reporters during open practice. He shared his opinion about the team and revealed he enjoyed preparing his squad for the upcoming campaign.
Rick Pitino
“Been a great summer with this team,” Rick Pitino said. “Incredible group of athletes with the right attitude for learning and growing. Can’t wait for the start of official practice in September.”
The Red Storm is set to open the season on Nov. 3 against the Quinnipiac Bobcats before facing off against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Madison Square Garden.
