The St. John’s basketball program has undergone a dramatic shift in leadership and culture since Rick Pitino replaced Mike Anderson as head coach in March 2023. Anderson, who spent four seasons at the helm, never reached the NCAA Tournament and was dismissed amid claims of academic and behavioral issues within the program. Pitino, a Hall of Fame coach, was brought in to reset the standard.
Anderson compiled a 68–56 record and was named Big East Coach of the Year in 2021, but his tenure ended abruptly following the 2023 Big East Tournament.
As part of that shift, the dynamics around the program have changed significantly. This also includes how accessible and transparent the head coach is with the media.
NY Post Journalist Explains How Covering Rick Pitino Is Different from Mike Anderson
Zach Braziller of the New York Post, who has covered St. John’s for several seasons, appeared on the “Aaron Torres Podcast” to share what it has been like covering Rick Pitino compared to Mike Anderson.
“He’s [Pitino] great to cover because he’s very communicative, he’s easy to get a hold of,” Braziller said. “It’s easier for me to communicate with Rick Pitino than it was Mike Anderson.”
He pointed out that Anderson had little interest in engaging with the media.
“Mike Anderson didn’t want relationships with the people he covered. I did my best. He had no interest in that. Rick Pitino does. It’s not hard to get him on text. He’s not hiding anything.”
He went on to say that with Anderson, everything felt like it had to be kept under wraps.
“Mike Anderson kind of felt like, everything was like a national secret. And I always thought that was kind of silly.”
He also spoke about the difference in what he learned as a reporter while covering Pitino.
“I actually learned stuff covering about basketball covering Pitino. I had never felt like that happened before to me. You actually learn things by going to his press conferences and talking to him. Which to me is very unique.”
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Mike Anderson was fired in March 2023, a day after St. John’s lost in the Big East Tournament. The school stated that his dismissal was due to academic and conduct issues. Still, Anderson disagreed and filed a $45.6 million lawsuit, claiming the school was attempting to avoid paying his buyout. The case was settled in 2024.
Since Pitino took over, St. John’s has undergone a full reset. Only two players from Mike Anderson’s final roster were retained, and the Red Storm finished 20–13 in his first season, narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament.
In his second year, Pitino led St. John’s to a 31–5 record, winning both the Big East regular-season and tournament titles and earning the program’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.
ST. JOHN’S IS BACK‼️
Rick Pitino leads the Red Storm to its first NCAA tournament win in 25 years 😯 pic.twitter.com/RY8OvAhOx6
— ESPN (@espn) March 21, 2025
With a top-ranked transfer class and several key players returning, expectations are even higher heading into his third season.
