“Rick Pitino is who John Calipari thinks he is”: College hoops fans celebrate St John’s HC after Big East regular season title win

Rick Pitino showed why he is one of the best college basketball coaches in history, leading the St. John's Red Storm to their first outright Big East regular season title since 1985 on Saturday. They accomplished that feat in front of a packed crowd at Madison Square Garden, recording a 71-61 win over the Seton Hall Pirates.

Bleacher Report Hoops paid tribute to Pitino and the Red Storm after they clinched the Big East regular-season title, posting highlights of their win against Seton Hall on Instagram.

St. John's fans flooded the post's comment section with praise for Pitino, with some of them taking shots at Arkansas coach John Calipari.

Fans praised Pitino on Instagram after he led St. John's to its first Big East title since 1985. Source: Instagram/@br_hoops

"Rick Pitino is who John Calipari thinks he is," one fan commented.

"This is the best basketball coach we've ever seen. You can give him any program and he'll have it thriving within a year," one fan pointed out.

"One of the greatest to do it. Idc what they said about em!" one fan shared.

"Rick Pitino has NY lit," one fan posted.

"He is a top 5 college coach of all time. And if you say he is the best I'm not going to argue," one fan wrote.

"Coach Pitino is the best!!" one fan claimed.

"Why can't Cal adapt to the new era of basketball [like] how Rick did???" one fan asked.

Comparing Rick Pitino and John Calipari's 2024-25 NCAA seasons

Rick Pitino and John Calipari share one thing in common. They have won at least one national championship in their illustrious coaching careers. Pitino is the first coach to win an NCAA title at two different schools, leading the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals to the championship in 1996 and 2013, respectively. Calipari won his lone national title with Kentucky in 2012.

Rick Pitino and John Calipari talk before the Louisville Cardinals vs. Kentucky Wildcats game on December 21, 2016. Photo: Getty

Calipari left the Wildcats after the 2023-24 season and joined the Arkansas Razorbacks in a blockbuster switch. The move hasn't panned out well with Arkansas posting a 17-12 overall record and a disappointing 6-10 slate in the SEC under Calipari so far.

The same can't be said for Pitino, who has flourished since joining St. John's. The Red Storm hold a 26-4 overall record, including an impressive 17-2 slate in the Big East Conference this 2024-25 NCAA season.