Rick Pitino doubles down after going scorched earth on his St. John’s team

Legendary Men’s Basketball coach Rick Pitino has had a difficult first season in his first year coaching the St. John’s Red Storm. And after their latest loss to Seton Hall on Sunday, Pitino blew up on his team, calling many players out by name in a fiery rant about the team’s struggles.

This isn’t the first time that Pitino has shown public frustration this season. It also probably won’t be his last. However, it was undoubtedly the most upset he has been in recent memory, calling several players by name “slow and unathletic”.

“Our lateral quickness and our toughness is just something I’ve never witnessed in all my years of coaching,” Pitino said Sunday night, adding, “We are so nonathletic that we can’t guard anybody without fouling. I don’t think they move well laterally, and I don’t think they are going to pick it up in the next week,” said Pitino in a video shared by Pat Boyle of WFAN on Twitter/X. “I think they are slow laterally. I mean, Sean Conway gives you all he can. He is slow laterally. About five guys are slow laterally.”

What a way to build team morale, Coach

Pathetic, embarrassing comments from Rick Pitino. Throws the entire team under the bus

I wonder who recruited them / brought them in! Point the finger at yourself. pic.twitter.com/z6aU9ku5Xb

— Pat Boyle (@PatBoyle44) February 19, 2024

He then went on to call the season the “most unenjoyable experience” he has ever had in his illustrious coaching career.

“Even the (Boston) Celtics when we lost, I enjoyed every minute being the Boston Celtics coach. I didn’t like when we lost in that following year. But this had been the unenjoyable experience that I’ve had since I’ve been coaching.

Pitino was then asked if he had ever had second thoughts about taking the St. John’s coaching job. He then further threw his team under the bus, saying that his team was the problem, not the program.

“No not at all. It’s not St. John’s it’s my team. I think they are very respectful. They hear but they don’t listen. It’s taken me a month to get them to throw bounce passes.”

It’s obviously an incredibly harsh assessment of his team from Pitino. Regardless, Pitino doubled down on these comments when asked about them on Monday, saying that he “truly wasn’t ripping anybody”, and that he “stands by” his choice of words.

“I was pointing out in a monotone voice why we lost,” Pitino told Newsday Monday. “I am not always calm and certainly not when I rip someone. I was not ripping anybody. I sometimes want my players to hear my words and read my words. That was my intention [Sunday]. I’m fine with what I said.”

Even if Pitino actually feels this way about his team. Is there really anything positive that can come from publically throwing a struggling team under the bus? It very clearly won’t help their morale, which already appears to be struggling.

Regardless, it seems like Pitino is more than fine with his public criticisms. Hopefully, his team feels the same way.

[Newsday]