Semi-neutral observer breaks down today's KU-SJU coaching matchup

San Diego — Roaming the halls of Viejas Arena on Saturday afternoon was a man who knows more about St. John’s coach Rick Pitino than anyone else in the entire arena and most people in the world — his son and current Xavier head coach, Richard Pitino. 

The 43-year-old younger Pitino, who just completed his first season at Xavier after stops at New Mexico, Minnesota and Florida International, has hopped along for however long this SJU ride will take him. 

And during a break between his dad’s team’s practice and media availability session on Saturday ahead of Sunday’s 2nd-round showdown with 4th-seeded Kansas, Richard took time to talk with R1S1 Sports about the matchup between Pitino and Kansas coach Bill Self. 

Sunday’s 4:15 p.m. central battle for a trip to the Sweet 16 next week in Washington D.C. will be just the second ever meeting between the two Hall of Fame coaches, a reality that even Richard thought was crazy given the stellar careers and long runs by both head coaches. 

“It’s two Hall of Fame coaches trying to advance in an amazing tournament,” Richard said while smiling about the mere thought of the matchup. “You’ve got two top-10, top-15 programs battling it out. Great players, great coaches, great history. So, it’s gonna be fun to watch.” 

"There's so many great coaches out there, but they have a tough time standing the test of time. Bill has stood the test of time every single year."

— St. John's coach Rick Pitino on KU's Bill Self

Self and Pitino’s only meeting to this point came in the third-place game of an early-season tournament in Orlando, back when the St. John’s coach was at Iona during the 2021-22 season. KU won that game, 96-83, before going on to win the national title later that season. 

This one, with higher stakes and tons more eyeballs on it, figures to be a much different battle from the jump.

Between them, the two legendary coaches have four national championships and 10 Final Four appearances. Only one can advance one step closer to adding to his marks this season, and it’s likely that neither is looking at today’s matchup as Self vs. Pitino, the way many around the country might be. 

“The beauty of my dad is he would coach a non-conference game versus a MAC team the same way he would coach this game,” Richard said. “That’s what makes him great. I think his approach to every game is the same and that’s why he’s so good.” 

As a result of being the son of a legend, along with his own run through the college coaching ranks, Richard has spent a lot of time around some of the biggest names to ever do it. 

His interactions with Self have been limited, but there’s one that stood out to him. A few years back, when the late Gethro Muscadin, was leaving KU and looking for a new place to play, Richard called Self about how Muscadin might fit in at New Mexico. 

“I called him, he called me right back and he’s always so personable,” Richard said of Self. “He’s always been really nice to me.”

During his time studying college basketball’s best coaches, including Self, Richard said he has seen one crucial thing that they all have in common. 

“I just think it’s the competitive stamina that they have,” he said. “They never fatigue and they’re just relentless with their approach, whether it’s with their staff, preparation, getting their players better, recruiting, it’s just a 365 (days a year) job and, you know, the great ones never take a break.”

While the younger Pitino is clearly a fan of both coaches in today’s matchup, he wasn’t the only one praising the two of them on Saturday. 

It’s clear that both Pitino and Self are looking forward to this matchup, as much for the challenge it will present as the chance to advance to D.C. to take on top-seeded Duke next week. 

Said Pitino of Self: “Well, there's so many great coaches out there, but they have a tough time standing the test of time. Bill has stood the test of time every single year. He's won more Big 12 championships, and now the Big 12 is stronger than it's ever been, and he's still at a level of excellence that he's been when he first started there. So, he's great at everything he does. He's a great recruiter. He's a great evaluator of talent. He's a great offensive coach, and he's a great defensive coach. He's such a well-rounded guy. His teams do everything well, and that's what I look at when I evaluate a coach. It's not just offense or defense. It's everything they do.” 

Added Self in his own tip-of-the-cap to the Hall of Famer on the other sideline: “To me, the coaches that are so impressive — to me — are the coaches that coached without a 3-point line and then became efficient with the 3-point line, (coached) without a shot clock, then became one of the best with the shot clock. Always evolving with the game. And I think that he's done that as well as anybody maybe ever has.” 

Today’s tipoff is slated for 4:15 p.m. central on CBS.

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