"Wow Pitino vs Pitino in Big East?": Fans react as Rick Pitino's son Richard is rumored to join Villanova or Xavier as basketball head coach

Richard Pitino, son of legendary coach Rick Pitino, is reportedly set to become the next head coach at Xavier, replacing Sean Miller. While rumors had linked him to Villanova, multiple reports, including CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein and On3, now confirm Xavier’s decision.

Pitino recently led New Mexico to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and is preparing to coach in the same Big East conference as his father.

The speculation gained traction after insider Rob Reinhart tweeted that former Lobos point guard Donovan Dent, a top transfer portal target, might follow Pitino to his new role. However, this detail remains unconfirmed.

Fans were quick to react to the news. One wrote:

“Ummmm? Which one is it (Villanova or Xavier)?”

“Wow Pitino v Pitino in big east?!,” another wrote on X.

“Now I’m getting excited thinking about the battle between St John’s and Xavier next season,” another wrote.

“2 Pitinos in the big east,” a fan wrote.

Other fans reacted on X:

“5 minutes ago he was Villanova’s new HC,” one wrote.

“Pitino vs Pitino (Absolute Cinema),” another wrote.

Richard Pitino will be preparing for his next challenge

After a successful three-year run at New Mexico, where Richard Pitino turned the Lobos from a struggling 13-19 team to Mountain West champions, Pitino is now preparing for his next challenge.

At New Mexico, he led the Lobos to their first Mountain West title since 2014 and an NCAA Tournament appearance, amassing an 88-49 record overall and 40-33 in conference play.

Before that, Pitino spent eight seasons at Minnesota, where he guided the Golden Gophers to an NIT championship in 2014 and two NCAA Tournament berths, finishing with a 141-123 record before departing in 2021.

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, left, New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino - Source: Imagn

According to On3, now heading to Xavier, Richard Pitino will face his father twice a year - when the Musketeers clash with Rick Pitino's St. John’s squad in New York and Cincinnati.

Rick was notably in attendance during New Mexico’s second-round NCAA game against Michigan State, just a day after his Red Storm suffered a shocking loss to Arkansas.

Xavier acted quickly to fill its coaching vacancy after Miller left for Texas earlier this week. The Musketeers, who made it into the NCAA Tournament’s First Four and earned a hard-fought win over Texas, eventually fell to Illinois in the Round of 64.