Rick Pitino reveals he has had no talks with Indiana, admits contact European pro teams

With another great season on his resumé, Rick Pitino has become part of the conversation again for teams, both here and overseas, who will be looking for a new head coach this offseason.

While on ‘Pardon My Take’ on Friday, Pitino was asked if he’d received any interest from other teams yet, specifically the highest-profile of them all to this point in the Indiana Hoosiers. He said that Indiana hasn’t contacted him or anyone associated with him yet, while also saying he wouldn’t hire himself for that job considering where he currently stands as the head coach of St. John’s.

“No. No one,” said Pitino. “I would never hire myself for that job…I belong at St. John’s.”

Indiana will have a head coaching search following this season with the news earlier this month that Mike Woodson would be stepping down after four years. He has posted a record of 78-51 (.605), including being 15-11 (.577) this year with the Hoosiers presently projecting to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. With that, they’ll now be looking for a new coach that will look to get them past the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002.

As for the Hoosiers’ candidates, Pitino isn’t one but he named one himself who he thought would work out in Bloomington.

Pitino, though, has more interest around him than just in the United States. He did reveal this morning that teams back in Europe have been in contact with him having coached there with Panathinaikos B.C. in the EuroLeague from 2018 to 2020.

“I’ve had a lot of contacts with professional teams right now from, from Europe who are dying to have me back,” Pitino smiled.

This comes after Pitino has St. John’s at 23-4 overall for one of their better seasons in history and certainly their best in the 2000s. That has them currently at No. 10 in the latest AP Poll and as a top-four seed right now for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Pitino has again proven that he’s still one of the best coaches in all of college basketball. His career will continue in Queens, though, based on these comments today on his future.