Rick Pitino punches ticket to NCAA Tournament with Iona

Rick Pitino is back in the NCAA Tournament, leading Iona to its 14th MAAC Tournament title and the veteran coach’s second in three seasons as head coach of the Gaels. The school defeated No. 11 seed Marist by a final score of 76-55 to claim the conference championship and punch a ticket to the Big Dance.

It will be what is expected to be his second and final March Madness run in New Rochelle prior to an anticipated step up in the coaching ranks. Pitino, now 70 years old, is rumored to be a top target for several programs with job openings, namely St. John’s and Texas Tech.

The Gaels, who entered the matchup on a 13-game winning streak with an average margin of victory of 16.3, have now advanced to the NCAA Tournament in six of the last eight years. They haven’t, though, won a game in March Madness since 1980, a victory that was ultimately vacated due to NCAA violations.

Pitino has won two regular-season titles in his three seasons at Iona. Now, he has a chance to make history with the program before taking his coaching talents elsewhere. A single win next week would solidify that.

One more move?

Speculation of a potential coaching change came from Pitino himself, telling CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander he would return to high-major basketball if the right opportunity presented itself.

If he felt he could make a Final Four run at a new school that pursued his services, he’d consider it.

“We’ve accomplished what we set out to do,” Pitino said. “If I wanted to leave, it would be a job that I thought could get to a Final Four. It would be a great place where I want to live, but I don’t see it happening. I don’t see it happening. I’m really tied into these kids. And they came because of me.”

Is St. John’s that school?

Texas Tech is making a push for the MAAC Coach of the Year, expressing “serious interest” in recent days. St. John’s, though, is the program most connected to Pitino, a move that would allow him to stay in New York and return to the Big East, a conference he dominated during his time at Louisville.

Following his team’s win on Saturday, he said winning is what he values most in his life. That was in reference to his potential interest in the Red Storm.

“My interests lie with my team. I’m very thankful to Iona. You have to understand one thing: The biggest factor in my life is winning, more so than anything,” he said. “Winning is the most important thing in my life. In two years in league play, we’re 35-6. … If I ever moved, I’d have to have a firm belief that the job I take, wherever it may be, can win like Iona, and I’m not sure there are [many] of those out there.”

ESPN reported that St. John’s is “expected to turn to Pitino as its top candidate.” Jeff Goodman, Jon Rothstein, Matt Norlander, Seth Davis and Adam Zagoria have all made it clear that a partnership is likely, if not inevitable. It would be a chance to lead a hungry basketball program that hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000.

But first, a March Madness win with Iona. That’s the hope, at least.