Richard Pitino has accepted the head coaching position at Xavier after leaving New Mexico. The announcement was made on Tuesday evening, with Pitino set to replace Sean Miller, who departed for Texas after a successful stint at Xavier. Pitino expressed his excitement about coaching in the BIG EAST and facing his father, Rick Pitino, who coaches at St. John’s.
During his time at New Mexico, Pitino achieved an 88-49 record with two NCAA tournament appearances, a conference championship, and a tournament title. Prior to his tenure in New Mexico, Pitino spent eight seasons at Minnesota, where he led the team to two NCAA tournament appearances before being fired in 2021.
Pitino’s coaching career began at Florida International before moving on to assistant coaching roles at various universities, including Louisville and Florida. He then became the head coach at Minnesota, where he found success before ultimately landing at New Mexico.
Pitino was also in discussions with Villanova and West Virginia regarding their coaching vacancies before ultimately accepting the position at Xavier. He will receive a six-year contract with the Musketeers, as reported by Jeff Goodman of Field of 68. Overall, Pitino’s extensive coaching background and success at multiple institutions make him a valuable addition to the Xavier coaching staff as they look to continue their winning ways in the NCAA tournament and the BIG EAST Conference.
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