"No respect for them": St. John's HC Rick Pitino calls out NCAA over Louisville exit in latest "Red Storm Rising" preview

Rick Pitino has been the coach of St. John's for two seasons now, but he is well known for the 16 seasons he coached the Louisville Cardinals. In a preview for the latest episode of his VICE TV show "Red Storm Rising," Pitino reflected on his exit from his long-time position.

After an FBI investigation in 2017, Pitino was fired from his position with the Cardinals due to allegations of recruiting violations. One of the allegations was that he paid $100,000 to the family of a recruit and that he hired prostitutes and strippers to attend parties with recruits and players. Pitino was exonerated and maintains his innocence.

"No respect for them," Pitino said. "Do I have a chip on my shoulder for them? Without question."

In his 16 seasons with Louisville, Pitino led his team to six Elite Eight appearances, three Final Fours and a 2013 National Championship title.

"The NCAA investigated the whole thing," Pitino explained in the Red Storm Rising preview. "As it turned out, I was declared innocent, but they drag it out."

He has now moved on to coaching a successful St. John's team. In his first season leading the Red Storm, Pitino's squad finished 20-13, coming up short of an NCAA Tournament appearance.

This season, St. John's is the No. 6-ranked team in the country. The team sits atop the Big East with a 17-2 conference record and is expected to be a third seed in the NCAA Tournament.

NCAA Basketball: Seton Hall at St. John - Source: Imagn

It is likely that more details about Pitino's firing from Louisville will be released in the upcoming episode of Red Storm Rising. But for the time being, he is focused on coaching St. John's as they prepare for the postseason.

What's next for Rick Pitino's St. John's team?

St. John's is on a five-game win streak and will finish off the regular season with a ranked matchup at No. 20 Marquette on Saturday. When the conference foes faced off earlier this season, the Red Storm walked away with a 70-64 win. However, Marquette leads the all-time series 23-12.

Pitino's team will be the top seed in the Big East Tournament and will aim to continue to dominate the conference in the postseason. If the Red Storm can win the conference tournament, it will be their first conference tournament title since 2000. This season will serve as St. John's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.