Rick Pitino office robbery: What happened at St John's University? Closer look at latest burglary investigations

The coach of St. John’s Men’s Basketball, Rick Pitino, reportedly found himself the victim of a robbery, according to The Torch. On Aug. 20, two men allegedly burglarized Pitino’s office at Carnesecca Arena and made off with valuable sports memorabilia.

The theft, which reportedly occurred around 6 PM, has left the university community on edge as the NYPD continues its investigation. The thieves allegedly entered the Hall of Famer’s office, located just above the basketball court, and made off with $375 worth of goods, including a basketball and a bullhorn.

The suspects were reportedly last seen fleeing the scene on a moped, but no arrests have been made, and their identities remain unknown. Pitino expressed his frustration on social media. He tweeted:

“Really upset! Taking my memorabilia is one thing but the 1985 6L Petrus Pomerol has me livid!!!”

More information on the burglary is yet to follow.

The Pitino office robbery incident comes before the upcoming season as the Red Storm prepares to dazzle the court under the coach's leadership.

CBB insider gives verdict on seriousness of Rick Pitino vs Dan Hurley rivalry

The Dan Hurley vs. Rick Pitino rivalry has been nothing short of fiery, and it's exactly what college basketball fans crave. Basketball insider Adam Zagoria weighed in on this tension on the "Locked On UConn" podcast, and his take was clear: this rivalry is as real as it gets.

"I talked a little bit to Rick Pitino yesterday. He put out some tweets. Look, this Rick Pitino-Dan Hurley rivalry thing, how much of it is real and how much of it is fake, I think it's pretty real," he said.

While some might view their feud as purely personal, Zagoria claimed it’s actually great for the Big East and college basketball as a whole. The rivalry escalated last season when the UConn Huskies started playing its home games at Madison Square Garden as a secondary home venue.

Pitino replied tactically by ensuring St. John’s would play just one home game on campus against UConn, hoping to bring the Huskies to Carnesecca Arena. Unfortunately for Pitino, his team came up short, losing all three matchups against UConn in the 2023-24 season.