Rick Pitino is back to doing Rick Pitino things in press conferences

Rick Pitino is a character unlike any other. Over the years he’s said some big fat whoppers while speaking with the media. As my grandmother would say, “He’s full of you know what.” It may be a ton of “you know what,” but it produces some high quality content. The man delivered the goods over the weekend.

In his first year as the head coach at St. John’s, Pitino has the Red Storm in the thick of what will likely be a messy Big East. UConn has separated themselves from the pack at the top of the league, but everyone else is in the mix not too far behind and that includes the Johnnies. Pitino’s squad is 12-5 and one of five Big East teams with 4+ wins in league play.

They almost secured their biggest win of the PItino era on Saturday. St. John’s mucked it up in Omaha. It was a nail-biter decided by a pair of Trey Alexander free throws. St. John’s got a couple of late looks, but ultimately fell 66-65 to No. 22 Creighton.

Some might consider the close call a step in the right direction for the program. Rick Pitino does not see it that way.

“No, I don’t feel good,” he said. “When we lose, I f***ing hate the world. Just so you understand that, no, I don’t feel good. I’ve never felt good with a loss; pardon my language. So, I don’t feel good. I don’t believe in those valiant efforts on the road. No, I feel like I want to kill myself, jump in the cold, and die of frostbite.”

****Pitino is NSFW****

Rick Pitino on losing. Video courtesy of Creighton Athletics. pic.twitter.com/TlxQM5PRlt

— Connor Happer (@ConnorHapper) January 13, 2024

But wait — THERE’S MORE!

Rick Pitino Actually Said This with a Straight Face

Remember those Trey Alexander free throws I told you about that gave Creighton the win? Well, those might not have happened if officials intervened sooner.

Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner appeared to foul Daniss Jenkins. Instead of sending St. John’s to the free throw line with seconds on the clock, the blocked shot turned into a loose ball foul in favor of the Blue Jays. When asked about the call after the game, Pitino was once again full of “you know what.”

“I don’t yell at officials during the game. This is going to sound absolutely berserk: I think it’s a form of cheating when you’re trying to get calls on every play and cursing at the referees, inciting the crowd,” Pitino said.

“You’re trying to get calls. I don’t believe in that. I’ve said to referees throughout my tenure maybe 1,000 times: Stop listening to the other coach, you’re getting paid to referee, not to listen to coaches. Most of them adhere to it, the ones that aren’t great don’t adhere to it.”

What’s sillier, Pitino saying that he doesn’t yell at officials, or that yelling at officials is a form of cheating?

The best part of this quote is the Dan Hurley layer to it. Many folks see this as an indirect shot at the UConn head coach, the hot-head that has been exchanging verbal jabs back and forth with the Hall of Famer.

When Rick Pitino speaks into a microphone, it’s never a dull moment.