Iona coach Rick Pitino has agreed to a six-year deal with St. John’s to become the program’s next men’s basketball coach, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Adrian Wojnarowski. The financial details of the agreement haven’t been reported at this time.
The news comes after an earlier ESPN report from late Sunday night stated Pitino had met with St. John’s officials after Iona was eliminated from the NCAA tournament. At the reported meeting, Pitino explained his potential vision for the Red Storm and inquired about the school’s commitment to his lofty expectations—competing for Big East and national titles.
It appears the conversation went well, as both sides are moving forward with the agreement. In three seasons at Iona, he led the Gaels to two NCAA tournament appearances.
