"That, to me, is National Coach of the Year": Analyst John Rothstein makes bold claim about coaching award race

CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jon Rothstein shared his pick for the National Coach of the Year award on Sunday, and St. John’s Rick Pitino is his choice based on his work this season.

“Considering that Rick Pitino has led St. John’s not just to a Big East regular season title, but to a 26-4 record with those losses coming by a combined 7 points, that, to me, is the National Coach of the Year,” Rothstein made his argument during a show on CBS Sports.

The No. 7 Red Storm have been one of the biggest surprises in college basketball this season, with Pitino transforming the program into a national contender in his second year at the helm.

Already regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the sport with national titles at two different programs, many see this feat at St. John’s as one of his most remarkable achievements.

On Saturday, Pitino guided the program to its first outright Big East regular season title since 1985 with a 71-61 win over Seton Hall, a victory that marked a major turnaround for a program that had struggled for decades.

With the regular season title secured, the Red Storm now shift their focus to the postseason, where they will aim to win their first Big East Tournament since 2000.

Last season, Pitino led St. John’s to the Big East Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2000, although they fell in a hard-fought 95-90 battle against UConn, which went on to secure its second consecutive national championship.

Now, as Big East regular season champions, St. John’s will hope to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament where they will be appearing for the first time since 2019.

Pitino’s promise to St. John’s fans after securing regular season title

Following the Red Storm’s conference title win, Pitino addressed the St. John’s faithful with a message that sent Madison Square Garden into celebration.

“We’re just getting started,” Pitino declared after the victory over Seton Hall.

St. John’s moved up to No. 6 in the latest AP ranking, its highest ranking since reaching No. 5 in 1990-91.

The Red Storm will return to action on Saturday against No. 21 Marquette, looking to extend their winning streak to six games to close out the regular season.