The Rick Pitino redemption tour, which has already included a restoration to Kentucky basketball’s good graces, a resurrection of an embattled St. John’s program and a return to the top of the Big East Conference, will make an unusual stop Thursday night.
Pitino and his team will be guests on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
The 72-year-old Red Storm coach is no stranger to New York City or national media accolades, but the historic season St. John’s is enjoying in 2024-25 has made Pitino a Big Apple darling almost to the level of his days as head coach of the Knicks in the 1980s.
The Red Storm (26-4 overall, 17-2 Big East) are ranked No. 6 nationally, have won 15 of their last 16 games and captured their first outright regular season conference championship in 40 years.
St. John’s is also the subject of a docuseries on VICE TV called “Pitino: Red Storm Rising” that is chronicling Pitino’s second season as head coach of the Red Storm.
“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” will air at 11:35 p.m. on NBC. In addition to Pitino and the Red Storm, Thursday night’s show will feature actress Parker Posey, actor and writer Alan Cumming, and musical guest Julia Michaels and Maren Morris.
Pitino famously left the Knicks in 1989 to resurrect a probation-damaged Kentucky program, which he led to one national championship and three Final Fours in eight seasons in charge.
He returned to the pros to coach the Boston Celtics, a dream job that culminated in his resignation amid his fourth straight losing season, one of the few times things didn’t go Pitino’s way in his Hall of Fame coaching career.
Pitino drew the wrath of many Kentucky fans when he then returned to college basketball as head coach of the Wildcats’ archrival, Louisville. Pitino guided the Cardinals for 16 seasons, coaching them to three NCAA Final Four appearances and one national championship.
The school was forced to vacate that 2013 title after an NCAA investigation into an embarrassing sex scandal in the program. Later, Louisville was immersed in an FBI investigation into college basketball corruption in 2017 that, when combined with U of L’s previous troubles, led to Pitino’s firing.
Defiantly, Pitino resurfaced again coaching a professional team in Greece. That opportunity, combined with the fact Pitino was never named in the federal case against U of L, opened the door for him to return to college basketball at Iona.
Pitino won two regular season championships and two conference tournament titles coaching the Gaels, which opened the door for his move to St. John’s.
After leading the Red Storm to a 20-13 record in 2023-24, Pitino’s reputation was restored to such a degree that some considered him a candidate for the Kentucky head coaching job after John Calipari departed for Arkansas last spring.
Ultimately, Kentucky hired Mark Pope, a player from Pitino’s 1996 national championship squad with the Wildcats. Pitino enthusiastically encouraged and endorsed Pope’s hiring by Kentucky, a move that re-established his connection with the UK fan base.
Last October, during Kentucky’s annual Big Blue Madness celebration, Pitino made a triumphant return to Rupp Arena.
Wearing a blue quarter-zip adorned with a white UK logo, the former Kentucky coach was greeted with raucous applause from a crowd that spent years booing him after his turn to rival Louisville.
Pope reintroduced him to the UK fans in the place Pitino referred to as his “Camelot” and then passed him the microphone.
“I am so happy to be back,” Pitino said. “I said before I pack it in, in coaching, I want to go back to Camelot for one more time. And there’s no way I can return better. This is one of the best nights I’ve had in a long time, because I visit all my players. I visit the fans that made me happy for every single day for eight years.
“And now we get to root for a gentleman that — there have been a lot of great coaches here, a lot of great ones — but we get to root for someone that that name Kentucky is what he’s all about. It’s not about Pope. You’ll never hear him say. The most selfless, humble young man I’ve ever coached in my lifetime. One of the great, great examples of what Kentucky basketball is all about. Mark Pope is going to lead you to greatness, in every sense of the word.”
Pope and Pitino have discussed bringing St. John’s to Rupp Arena for a game, possibly as soon as next season, if both schools can make it work.
Given Pope’s rapid ascendance at Kentucky and Pitino’s return to glory at St. John’s, that would be a ticket on every UK fan’s wish list.
Read Next
UK Men's Basketball
He left the Bahamas as a teenager. He’s now ‘a star in the making’ with UK basketball
March 06, 2025 6:00 AM