It’s official—St. John’s basketball is back in the national spotlight, and you can thank Rick Pitino for that. The legendary coach just picked up another honor, earning National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) North Atlantic District Coach of the Year. It’s a fitting recognition for what’s shaping up to be a golden era for the Red Storm.
Pitino’s Leadership Sparks Unprecedented Success
When Pitino landed at St. John’s, expectations skyrocketed—and wow, has he delivered. In only his third year, the Red Storm have posted a stunning 79–24 record (that’s .767, for those counting) and an even better 59–11 run (.843) in the last two seasons. After racking up three major National Coach of the Year trophies in 2024–25, Pitino kept the hot streak rolling into 2026.
They didn’t just make history—they rewrote it. St. John’s became the first BIG EAST program to clinch both the outright regular season and conference tournament titles two years in a row. The Red Storm absolutely cruised through the 2026 league tournament, picking up three double-digit wins and giving Pitino his fifth BIG EAST Tournament victory, plus the 16th overall conference tourney triumph of his career.
If that wasn’t enough, Pitino is rising in the record books. He notched his 900th win on January 24 against Xavier, and now owns 913 career victories—third most all-time. The Hall of Famer is marching into his 25th NCAA Tournament with an impressive 55–22 March Madness résumé, bolstered by seven Final Fours at three schools and national titles at Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013).
St. John’s Stars Shine with NABC All-District Honors
It’s not just the coach getting hardware. Four Red Storm players picked up NABC All-District nods as well, showing off the impressive depth and talent on this roster.
Leading the way, Zuby Ejiofor made First Team after an incredible campaign. The forward became the first player in BIG EAST history to sweep Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Scholar-Athlete, and Tournament MVP honors—all in one season. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.1 boards, 3.5 assists, and 2.1 blocks while helping fuel a 19–1 surge to close out the year.
Bryce Hopkins, the grad transfer from Providence, also grabbed First Team honors. In his final college season, Hopkins contributed 13.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and came up clutch in the tournament, averaging 15.0 points and 8.3 boards across the title run.
On the Second Team, forward Dillon Mitchell and guard Dylan Darling earned recognition too. Mitchell posted 8.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists a night, shooting a stellar 54.8%. Darling, meanwhile, chipped in 7.0 points, 2.5 assists, and led the team with 1.4 steals per game.
All Eyes on St. John’s for the Big Dance
With Pitino steering the ship and a bench stacked with talent, St. John’s is charging into the NCAA Tournament full of momentum. The Red Storm are the fifth seed in the East, set to tip off against No. 12 Northern Iowa at Viejas Arena in San Diego this Friday at 7:10 p.m. ET on CBS.
As March Madness gets underway, Pitino’s latest Coach of the Year accolade just confirms what fans already know: St. John’s is back among college basketball’s elite under the direction of one of the sport’s all-time coaching greats.
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