St. John’s head coaching search comes with big change

The conclusion to the Big East Tournament quarterfinal opener on Thursday didn't produce the reaction you would have thought from St. John's fans.

The vibe in the building wasn't of sadness after the 72-70 loss to Marquette — it was one of apathy. Red Storm followers have become immune to the last-second defeats. They're tired of almosts and coulda, woulda, shoulda. Excuses? They've all been used.

The university fired Mike Anderson on Friday, an expected move after the 63-year-old failed to lead the Red Storm to the NCAA Tournament in four seasons.

It's the latest failure in a streak of misses on head coaching hires for the program, which has missed on its last four (Chris Mullin, Steve Lavin, Norm Roberts).

The fact of the matter is this: St. John's, an important program and brand to the Big East, cannot continue to let the league down. The Red Storm have not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000 and will take a five-year drought in the Big Dance into next March.

There is a major difference with this particular hire for the Johnnies, though. Sources tell FOX Sports that university president Rev. Brian Shanley, who came on in Queens in 2021, is controlling this hire.

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Yes, St. John's has a president who understands the importance of basketball because he built Providence into a power. Shanley was the longest-serving president in Providence College history, serving in the role from 2005-20. While he missed on the hiring of Keno Davis in 2008, Shanley made as impactful a hire that Providence has made with Ed Cooley in 2011. With 242 victories in 12 seasons in Rhode Island, including a Sweet 16 last year, Cooley has powered the Friars into a golden age and credit goes back to Shanley for pushing the button and bringing him in to begin with.

Now, the St. John's president has the pressure on him again to lift a once proud program and put it back on the map. Identifying a proven winner is paramount.

Shanley's top target: Rick Pitino.

Sources tell FOX Sports that Shanley and Pitino's camp have been in discussions in recent weeks, and there is strong interest between the two parties to get a deal done.

The 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee currently has a 25-7 Iona team that is the top seed in the MAAC Tournament and in the semifinals.

The only head coach in college hoops history to lead three different schools to the Final Four (Providence, Kentucky, Louisville), Pitino's 709 all-time victories speak for themselves and the NCAA scandals of his past are in the rearview mirror.

As much as momentum has picked up with Pitino to St. John's, another source close to the university says "the only thing that's increased with this situation is the amount of chatter about it. There are still certain things that have to get figured out for it to happen."

So, it's a fluid situation with Pitino to the Red Storm, but let's make something clear here:

St. John's should do this. It's a no-brainer. If you're serious about winning and turning the ship around, you make this move because with Pitino, it's not a matter of "if" he will make them a winner. He isn't the long term option, but the Johnnies need someone to get them turned around now.

Beyond the work done on the court, Pitino can reinvigorate a fanbase that has watched subpar results for too long. St. John's wouldn't just be playing at Madison Square Garden four times a year if Pitino was in place. It wouldn't be UConn or Villanova fans filling up the building, but Red Storm followers returning to the program.

Pitino's pedigree speaks for itself, and the fundraising that could come in for a university in need of being elevated would be substantial.

We'll see how the situation evolves, but the right move is staring St. John's in the face. They have a leader in Shanley who's invested in athletics, knows what role the basketball program needs to play and is sick of losing games.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.

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