"It held up for one day": St. John's HC Rick Pitino shares hilarious update on New Year's resolution

Rick Pitino has had a wildly successful season on the court with the St. John's Red Storm, fulfilling his promise to bring the program back to prominence. Yet it might come at the expense of another resolution made early this year.

After defeating Seton Hall in a hard-fought 71-61 game on Saturday, the Red Storm clinched its first Big East regular season title since 1985. When asked about his New Year’s resolution to stop drinking in the postgame interview, the former Kentucky coach had an amusing response.

“It held up for one day. No, but we are gonna celebrate, obviously,” Rick Pitino said.

Regardless of his answer after the game at Madison Square Garden, Pitino is in the midst of yet another fine coaching job in an illustrious career. Seventh-ranked St. John’s had made the NCAA Tournament only three times in the last 20 years, never getting past the second round during that period.

In Rick Pitino’s second season, the New York school has a 26-4 record and is playing its best basketball at the right time, winning 15 of their last 16 games, beating national champions UConn twice as well as ranked opponents Marquette and Creighton during that period.

The coach believes the biggest change for the Red Storm this season has been their attitude.

“I think you build a will to win. You understand that when you lose nobody goes to bed with a good mind. So it’s not fear, but inside you hate losing. The next day you wake up and you get better,” Rick Pitino said.

St. John’s will face No. 21 Marquette on the road on Saturday to close out the regular season.

St. John's President praises Rick Pitino

After clinching the school’s first conference title in 30 years, Rick Pitino has rightfully been praised from different corners of the college basketball world. Perhaps no praise was bigger than that coming from inside the building.

St. John’s President Rev. Brian Shanley spoke to Newsday and his assessment of the basketball coach was bold.

“He’s a magician. He’s a genius,” Brian Shanley said.

In only his second season at the program, Pitino has turned the team into one that can contend for a national title. He has won national championships at Kentucky and Louisville before and has an astonishing .739 career winning percentage.

The Red Storm is currently considered a second seed for the NCAA Tournament, but if they can clinch the conference tournament title they could still improve their position heading into the tourney.