Bruce Pearl and Rick Pitino's exceptional coaching led to a historic tie for the AP men's college basketball Coach of the Year award for the first time in 58 years. Pearl has significantly elevated Auburn's basketball reputation, while Pitino has revitalized St. John's, leading them to a Big East regular-season title and a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Pitino's rapid success mirrors his history of turning programs around, marking him as a standout in the landscape of college basketball coaching.
Pitino's quick success follows a pattern he set in previous stops at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville and Iona. He is the first coach to lead six programs to the NCAA tournament.
St. John's matched a school record with 31 wins – marks set in the 1980s under Lou Carnesecca – and had their highest ranking in the AP Top 25 in 34 years.
Collection
[
|
...
]