Rick Pitino added another milestone to his historic career as a basketball coach on Saturday, securing the 900th on-court win as his St. John’s squad rallied to come back and defeat Xavier, 88–83.
The win was a special one not only because of what it meant for Pitino’s career record, but also for the fact that it came against his son, Richard Pitino, who currently coaches the Musketeers.
“Not once did they not believe they were going to win this game,” Pitino said of his players after they completed the comeback, outscoring Xavier 51–34 in the second half. “They made big plays down the stretch. So proud of these guys. Players get coaches wins. Nothing sweeter than getting to 900 because of these guys.”
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Pitino was sure to give plenty of credit to his family and support system for his longevity.
“I’ve got a great family. Great wife. They’ve kept me young. They allow me to work with these guys 12, 13 hours a day. I’m just enjoying it more than ever. Great group to coach.”
Asked about what goal he had after securing his 900th win, Pitino’s answer was simple.
“1,000.”
What's left to achieve for Coach Pitino after reaching 900 career wins?
— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) January 24, 2026
"1,000" 😆🤝 @TheAndyKatz https://t.co/m6BV5EceMt pic.twitter.com/wbLyVMHS1t
Pitino’s 900th career win (taking into account those he’s had vacated by the NCAA) pushes him out of a tie with Bob Knight to hold fourth place alone in the history of men’s college basketball coaches. With four more wins, he’ll pass Roy Williams.
At 73 years old, it’s unclear how much longer Pitino’s career will go, but after 50 years as a basketball coach, there are few other coaches anywhere with the experience he brings to the sport.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rick Pitino Needed Only One Word to Describe His Next Goal After Securing 900th Career Win.
