The coaching carousel in college basketball took another turn as Richard Pitino, head coach of New Mexico, accepted the head coaching job at Xavier. Pitino, son of legendary coach Rick Pitino, had spent one year at Florida International and eight seasons at Minnesota before coming to New Mexico. In his four years with the Lobos, he had a record of 88-49 with two NCAA Tournament appearances. Pitino expressed gratitude to New Mexico fans in a heartfelt parting message, highlighting his appreciation for their support of him and his family, especially his son Jack. Pitino’s departure comes after back-to-back losing seasons at Minnesota and a 13-19 record in his first year at New Mexico, followed by three straight 20-plus win campaigns. With Pitino moving on to Xavier, New Mexico is now in search of a new head coach. The coaching changes are just one part of the rapidly evolving landscape of college basketball, with the NCAA Tournament field down to 16 teams and the transfer portal also seeing significant activity. The upcoming conference matchups between Richard Pitino at Xavier and his father Rick Pitino, now at Iona, add an intriguing twist to the coaching landscape in college basketball.
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