Greater than 40 years after he final suited up for Rick Pitino within the early Nineteen Eighties, at which level the eventual Corridor of Famer was partway by way of a reinvigoration of the Boston University males’s basketball program, Mark Fiedor can at all times inform when his former coach is producing new headlines at St. John’s, the most recent faculty to reap the rewards of the game’s most indelible architect. Fiedor’s telephone will buzz with messages from his prolonged household, from his son, from folks he goes to church with, from the group chat along with his outdated Terriers teammates, from anybody with whom he is shared tales of what Fiedor now calls one of the crucial formative experiences of his life.
They’re all transfixed by what Pitino, 72, is doing in his second season with the Red Storm, the best way he is enlivened one other dormant program by way of an inimitable mix of savvy, metal and shrapnel that everyone who’s ever shared a courtroom with the two-time nationwide champion and seven-time Remaining 4 participant is aware of all too effectively. A video clip of Pitino admonishing his team during a halftime speech at Providence earlier this season electrified social media for days — “On a scale of 1 to 10, this was like a 3,” Fiedor instructed FOX Sports activities. “He is cleaned up his language lots.” — and the reception he now receives throughout dwelling video games at Madison Sq. Backyard, the place the crew is recent off a Large East Event title, is borderline papal. In elevating St. John’s to the varsity’s first outright Large East title since 1985 and an general file of 30-4, adequate for a No. 2 seed within the NCAA Event, he is catapulted each himself and the Pink Storm into the mainstream media panorama, evidenced by an look on “The Tonight Present Starring Jimmy Fallon” throughout the closing week of the common season. No program throughout the nation is hotter than St. John’s.
However what’s it actually wish to dwell in Pitino’s world, to spend hour after hour, day after day, on the mercy of a coach whose ardour for basketball borders on maniacal? How is that so a lot of his former pupils stay loyal to him for many years — eternally, even — realizing full effectively the form of bodily and psychological pressure he subjected them to as youngsters and younger adults? Even gamers who have not maintained friendships with Pitino nonetheless talk about him with the utmost respect.
“I feel Coach Pitino is hardworking, he is clever, he is visionary, he is loyal,” Fiedor instructed FOX Sports activities. “I have not requested for something from him. However I do know a few of the guys which have performed for him which are my teammates, you understand, he cares about them, he is in communication with them as a result of they’re in communication with him. So he is a loyal man. And I feel that that is one of many issues now with AAU and with the best way faculty sports activities are, loyalty is type of the forgotten high quality. And should you’re loyal, I’d inform the blokes which are there proper now, ‘Keep loyal, even when it is robust. Keep loyal to this system and to what he is doing and to him. And should you do, it is a payoff for a lifetime.'”
To raised perceive that dynamic, FOX Sports activities spoke with 15 of Pitino’s former gamers, starting from his time as an assistant coach beneath Jim Boeheim at Syracuse (1976-78) by way of his present function at St. John’s (2023-present), together with the handful of collegiate stops he made in between: at Boston College from 1978-83, at Windfall School from 1985-87, at Kentucky from 1989-97, at Louisville from 2001-17 and at Iona from 2020-23.
That is the primary in a three-part collection titled Postcards of Pitino. We start with The Early Years, a phase of Pitino’s profession that culminated in a Remaining 4 look throughout his second season main the Friars.
Editor’s notice: The next accounts have been edited for size, readability and circulate.
From: Marty Headd, SG, Syracuse (1977-81)
Profession stats: 10.9 factors and 1.7 assists per recreation in 106 appearances
Years with Pitino: 1
I signed with Syracuse the primary day of lessons my senior yr, so I used to be uncovered to Pitino for 2 years complete, however I performed for him for one. He mainly instructed me he’d by no means recruit me, that Jim Boeheim made a mistake, that I by no means ought to have been recruited. However since I used to be, he’d work with me. Once I was a senior in highschool, Pitino needed to play one on one with me at Manley Discipline Home. We have been gonna do it for every week earlier than SU’s follow and earlier than my highschool’s follow. So I went down there and we performed one on one, and I mainly crushed him. He minimize it quick to love Wednesday, however he discovered what he wanted to search out out about me.
He introduced in entrance of different gamers — I am nonetheless in highschool — that he was gonna go discover any individual to play with me, which means somebody with pace. And he went with small ahead Louis Orr all the way down to an All-Star recreation in New York Metropolis. And to make an extended story quick, he got here again with my accomplice, Eddie Moss. We did not like one another at first, however Pitino discovered my accomplice, who was a defensive specialist, and that actually made a world of distinction for me. I went on to turn out to be a three-year starter, averaged double figures every year, scored 1,200 or so factors, drafted by the New York Knicks, performed abroad. However with out Eddie, I do not get off and get happening that path.
Pitino, he actually helped me. However he did not like my recreation in anyway. And that exhibits an open-mindedness to the man. He instructed me, ‘I by no means would have recruited you.’ However he actually appreciated how a lot I improved and the way a lot I labored at my recreation. I do not assume I may have requested for a greater profession, and Pitino was proper there with me and helped information me.
Rick used to love to face up throughout video games, and you could possibly inform proper then that he was meant to be a head coach. And he needed to get in and get going when it comes to the sport. And there have been too many cooks within the kitchen — and I feel Pitino knew it and Boeheim knew it. Boeheim really put up with him standing up and speaking to the refs as a result of he realized this younger man Pitino, he can not help himself. And inside a few years, Pitino had moved on. It simply wasn’t gonna work as a result of Boeheim is a dictator. And there is simply no room for 2 of these guys as a result of Pitino was form of simply doing the identical kind of factor.
I gotta say, there have been some guys that have been fairly completely satisfied when Pitino left. And it wasn’t as a result of he wasn’t an excellent coach. It was simply, ‘You are an excessive amount of. You are meant to be a head coach.’ Assistants are somewhat totally different. They are not in on each god rattling factor you are doing. They make recommendations and transfer on. So Pit actually obtained, in a approach, too massive for his britches actual fast as a result of he needed to be a head coach. He had sufficient capability to be a head coach, but it surely was limiting him with Boeheim as a result of it is like having two Popes. You may’t have two Popes.
However I feel we have been taking part in up at Boston School after we have been seniors. Eddie shouted at me, he goes, ‘Come right here!’ And I am going over fast — it is a foul shot, so any individual is capturing a free throw — and he goes, ‘Over there!’ and it was Pitino watching from the stands. He had come to the sport to see me and Eddie and everyone else. He form of waved to me and Eddie and he was simply so happy with us that we had made it, that we had obtained essentially the most out of our capability and that we have been seniors, we punched by way of. He went out of his approach to come see that recreation.
Regardless that I went into this interview saying I form of do not like Pitino and he is somewhat bit kooky and this and that, he is a very, actually good decide of expertise. And to be able to flip your recreation round, he has unbelievable recommendations. He is an excellent man. However he is so assured and sharp along with his criticisms and stuff that he can alienate you somewhat bit. It is one thing such as you open a bubbly can of soda or one thing and also you style it and you do not prefer it. I by no means appreciated Pitino — the style of it — or simply him. However I gotta respect it.
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From: Danny Schayes, C, Syracuse (1977-81)
Profession stats: 8.2 factors and 5.4 rebounds per recreation in 117 appearances
Years with Pitino: 1
Rick was a power of nature again then. Rick was a ball of fireside, ball of power, took no prisoners. There was no escaping his wrath. He was not the get-to-know-you, supportive, loving man. He was the Tasmanian satan in that period. And I do not imply that essentially in a foul approach as a result of he was a motivator, excessive power — however there was no compromise. He was simply borderline nuts to be round.
He is nonetheless younger, proper, 23 or 24 at the moment, so he was taking part in with us throughout open fitness center. Actually Marty Headd would run again on protection and say, ‘You bought him, I obtained Pitino.’ After which Pitino would shout, ‘STOP THE GAME! It is Coach Pitino!’ And it is like, dude, we’re taking part in a pickup recreation. You are not Coach Pitino out right here. You are the purpose guard.
In follow, he was well-known for self-discipline. This was clearly pre-anything that will resemble analytics, however he’d preserve observe of deflections, he’d preserve observe of field outs, he’d preserve observe of strain on photographs. When you did none of these issues, you bought a minute on ‘The Bricks,’ which was a defensive drill, mainly defensive slides for a minute. There was no getting out of them.
Rick instructed me flat-out to my face that I used to be not adequate to play at Syracuse, and that I should not go there and that I’d by no means play. Turned out, I had the longest NBA profession of any participant ever at Syracuse — though Carmelo Anthony simply broke that file. He later mentioned that he obtained it, that I used to be adequate. I do not know if that was possibly a schtick he needed to attempt to encourage you.
I would not say that we did not get alongside as a result of really there was a time in follow when he was teaching the scrubs or no matter you need to name them, the non-starters, and I used to be kicking beginning middle Roosevelt Bouie’s ass. And Pitino was getting mad at me as a result of I wasn’t kicking his ass worse. So we had it out in the midst of follow. I used to be like, ‘Effectively, f—, I am not going to play in entrance of Rosie, I am kicking his ass already, what would you like?’ He says, ‘I would like you to f—ing humiliate him. Let’s go!’ And I used to be like, ‘That is a far cry from saying I am not adequate to play right here.’
You may get the eagerness, you could possibly get the courtroom sense and information. That was by no means a problem. He was a driver, typically to the purpose the place — he was actually arduous on small ahead Chris Jerebko. As a result of Chris had knee surgical procedure and had a scope, after which Rick needed him to come back again. However Chris was completely not prepared. They’d put on him out. That they had him seven, eight minutes a day doing defensive slides on a foul knee as a result of there was no considered, ‘Let’s get him prepared.’ It was like boot camp. Aren’t you robust sufficient?
So it was a really double-edged sword. On the one hand, I will say nice issues about Pitino. Alternatively, I notice that it was not tempered with, like, good sense. There was just one pace, whether or not that was the best pace for you or not. I’ve obtained large respect for him. There’s nothing to not respect. However there’s that double-edged sword side to it.
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From: Mark Fiedor, C, Boston College (1981-85)
Profession stats: 0.9 factors and a couple of.1 rebounds per recreation in 82 appearances
Years with Pitino: 2
Subsequent to my religious choices and who I married, it is in all probability the most important choice I ever made in my life to come back to Boston College. I spotted that I wanted somebody to push me to be able to even come near being a good basketball participant. My mother and father needed me to go to Rutgers, and I used to be form of heading that route till I got here as much as Boston and spent just a few days with the crew and watched them work out. The mantra was, ‘The toughest working coach and the toughest working crew within the nation.’ That type of scared sure folks away, you understand, and it was a bit scary for me, personally. However I felt like this was the place I would have the most effective alternative to play and to develop — due to him.
It was more durable than something I’ve ever needed to do in my life. Simply always being in your toes, always considering when it comes to the place do I must be, how early do I must be there, how incensed do I must be whereas I am there to be able to fulfill the imaginative and prescient of Coach Pitino, you understand? I feel he had a really clear thought of the form of effort he needed to see from the entire gamers individually and the crew collectively. So it was simply loads of work and loads of hours upon hours of coaching. Coping with the bodily side, certain, however actually dealing additionally with the psychological and emotional side of it as a result of he was very difficult. Some folks would take a look at it as harsh, and I perceive that, however I at all times felt like he needed me to be higher. And so, regardless that it might be very straightforward to take it personally — as in, he is utterly ticked off at me and does not need me round — I by no means felt that approach. I felt like he was making an attempt to make me a greater participant. When he stopped yelling at you or when he stopped pushing you, that was actually extra while you needed to fear.
I keep in mind my freshman yr, it was triple periods the day earlier than Thanksgiving, double periods on Thanksgiving Day, after which for Christmas, we did double periods on Christmas Eve after which double periods on Christmas Day. The one day we obtained off my freshman yr was New 12 months’s Day. I keep in mind this as a result of we practiced actually day-after-day.
He was humorous throughout movie periods. I keep in mind one specific scenario the place a participant was making a full effort to run up the ground they usually seemed like they have been actually entering into it, however their legs weren’t actually transferring, you understand? So it seemed like they have been working in quicksand, however their face seemed like they have been Carl Lewis setting the world file within the 100-meter sprint. And Coach Pitino simply stored taking part in it ahead and again, ahead and again. And nobody needed to chuckle as a result of we have been anxious about how he would reply to that. But it surely was hilarious. He would use sarcasm and various things to try to get to the purpose and encourage. I’ve heard former NFL head coach Invoice Parcells speaking to gamers, and I am like, ‘You recognize what, that jogs my memory of Coach Pitino, too,’ so there’s somewhat Parcells in him there, somewhat Bobby Knight, you understand?
I used to be a partier my freshman yr. After which, between freshman and sophomore yr, I obtained very critical about my religious life and I turned a Christian, OK? So all of the partying ended. And that created some rigidity with the gamers and considerably with the coaches due to worrying about my priorities. Regardless that we speak about teachers, it was actually the crew got here first. So I instructed Coach Pitino that I felt like I’ll be a greater participant simply because I am not out partying six nights every week anymore, I’ve obtained extra power. He was like, ‘Effectively, we’ll see.’
He determined to have us go all the way down to New York Metropolis and have a follow in Lengthy Island after which go see a Knicks recreation and spend the night time. Coach had gone down there on his personal in his Mercedes. He known as me Saturday night time after we practiced and watched the sport and mentioned, ‘I do know it is vital to you to be at church tomorrow. I am leaving early. Do you need to journey again to Boston with me so you may make church?’ And I mentioned, ‘Yeah, certain.’ So I obtained a telephone name very early within the morning, like 5 o’clock, and I went outdoors the lodge and he was there leaning on the Mercedes. And as I used to be strolling over to it, he threw me the keys and mentioned, ‘Right here, why do not you drive.’
I do not know what number of guys he would have handed the keys to. It was form of a nod to me. I spotted I may have performed higher, you understand? You look again and notice I figured every thing out after I left faculty. However on the time, for me, that was an vital acknowledgment that he revered the choice I made to turn out to be a Christian, and he trusted me sufficient to drive that automobile.
I turned a highschool instructor and I coached for 20 years, however the final 9 years have been fairly robust as a result of my spouse, you understand, she got here down with Alzheimer’s when she was 52. After which I used to be working and needed to take care of her as she obtained worse and worse and worse. Sadly, she handed away in August after 9 years. I used to be simply doing every thing I may. With the ability to try this and nonetheless educate an excellent class and provides myself to the children, after which go dwelling and provides myself to my spouse, it is like, ‘OK, that is actually arduous, however I do know I’ve the arrogance that I can do it as a result of I used to be capable of make it with Coach Pitino.’ And that is why I say selecting BU was a vital choice since you needed to be sturdy. You needed to be sturdy mentally and also you needed to be sturdy bodily.
However man, I would not commerce it for something.
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From: Johnnie Ray Wall, G, Boston College (1978-82)
Profession stats: 6.8 factors and three.1 rebounds per recreation in 98 appearances
Years with Pitino: 4
I used to be closely recruited by plenty of giant faculties. Sort of narrowed it all the way down to Syracuse and Tulane College. And so Coach Pitino was recruiting me for Syracuse. And he says, ‘You recognize, John, I’ve the chance to take the head-coaching job at Boston College.’ Effectively on the time, I did not even know what Boston College was. I knew it was a Division I faculty. However he mentioned, ‘We will construct a crew round you, we’ll get related forms of gamers.’ And since I had the arrogance in him, I ended up going to BU when it wasn’t even within the image initially.
I keep in mind when he was recruiting me for Syracuse, I used to be having a dialog with one of many gamers up there named Dale Shackleford. And Dale mentioned, ‘Rick is an effective man, however he’ll have you ever doing every thing besides for enjoying basketball.’ And it resonates prefer it was yesterday. That is the form of relationship that we had throughout my 4 years beneath Rick. We did loads of issues. And a few issues have been questionable whether or not or not it was basketball. It was a tricky street to hoe.
He was a really intense man, likes to yell and scream at you, you understand? That form of shook me somewhat bit. And never solely that, he was one in every of these guys that believed in conditioning. His philosophy was, most athletes on the collegiate degree are fairly shut in expertise, so the crew that’s in the most effective bodily situation will find yourself profitable the sport on the finish of the day. He was a taskmaster when it got here to conditioning, all proper? That was a shocker. He would drill us, drill us, drill us, drill us. And that turned very robust. We might follow 3 times a day, typically, you understand?
I keep in mind one time — this was throughout the Thanksgiving trip — and I assume he was mad at us about one thing as a result of he made us follow for like six straight hours. I used to be so exhausted. I imply, we ran till we fell out. After which we had a Thanksgiving dinner at one of many motels afterwards, and we have been so drained we could not eat the meals. He obtained mad at us. He is like, ‘I spent all this cash for this meals and also you guys cannot eat it!’ We simply could not go any additional, you understand. That is how drained we have been. However conditioning was his factor. I imply, he would run us till you could not run anymore. We might hope that he would not less than someday get sick, catch a chilly, keep dwelling along with his spouse. The man is only a fanatic when it got here to that.
One factor I’d at all times give Pitino credit score for, I feel he is a grasp on the X’s and O’s half, you understand? We did fairly effectively throughout my time. We may by no means beat the most important faculties, however in the case of the X’s and O’s, I do not assume too many coaches can out-fox him in that regard. He has a excessive IQ that he is proven all through his profession. If the sport is shut, I am gonna wager on Pitino. He figures it out. I love him for that. He is aware of how you can place you, which gamers to play and when to play them.
Pitino was massive within the press. That is his trademark. Again in my period, he would throw a crew of men to go in and press, you’ll press for therefore lengthy and he would take you out and put one other group of men in there. The urgent was robust. It takes lots out of you, and you have to be in nice form. The issue with the press is it actually wears in your joints. His type of play, I do not assume it benefitted me and my type of play. I did it as a result of I used to be dedicated to going to varsity and graduating in 4 years. So I form of grinned and I bared it. However as an individual, I imply, I feel he is an important individual. We’re mates as we speak.
Getting by way of that have, it taught me that it doesn’t matter what, do not hand over. Life isn’t going to be honest. You are going to need to make your personal breaks. And the important thing factor is to have stick-to-itiveness. It was that have that allowed me to turn out to be very profitable business-wise. I had an important skilled enterprise profession. I imply, I would not commerce my time with Pitino for nothing. I used to be very blessed and really lucky. I feel going by way of that have propelled me in life usually.
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From: Jacek Duda, C, Windfall (1983-87)
Profession stats: 2.5 factors and a couple of.7 rebounds per recreation in 95 appearances
Years with Pitino: 2
We found out that he was form of wild and loopy and unpredictable. First assembly, he needed to get launched to the crew, and one of many gamers got here in 5 minutes late. And upon assembly him, Pitino instructed him to run 5 miles a day, day-after-day, for nonetheless many days or even weeks. You may think about the shock. I notably did not know what to anticipate, to be sincere with you. However you understand what, as soon as the machine had been put in place, you form of knew what was going to occur and the way it was going to occur and so forth. It was a very totally different world. However general, it wasn’t that unhealthy.
To at the present time, he claims that the NCAA put the time restrict on practices due to our crew. We have been practising 3 times a day: at 5 a.m., between lessons, after which after lessons. You knew when managers have been taking orders from him for pizza that you just have been going to complete in all probability after the cafeteria was closed. The practices might be round two hours, three hours, 4 hours, who is aware of? So it was fairly intense. So far as private life, it did not exist on the time. You had your lessons, you had your examine corridor that everyone needed to go to, however outdoors of that, there was no time to go to the films or get within the espresso store with any individual. You have been too busy or too drained.
He at all times was very effectively organized and beneath management. You knew what time you needed to rise up, what time you needed to get to mattress, what time you needed to eat. He had it very scheduled and really meticulous. You did not actually look three, 4, 5 video games forward. It was one recreation at a time and preparing as a lot as attainable and in addition to attainable with all of the scouting and preparation. It was very meticulous and really detailed. He had a number of assistants who have been doing all that stuff and going over all of the opponents, their performs and so forth. It was form of intense and fairly detailed. I feel the most important takeaway was the work ethic and preparation, and simply mainly not taking every thing with no consideration.
Everyone was taking part in for everyone on our Remaining 4 crew. I do not assume there was any form of egos or anyone considering higher of themselves than anyone else. Maybe that is why, to at the present time, we’re protecting in contact and assembly recurrently and having all types of occasions collectively and so forth. It is really fairly thrilling and many enjoyable. It is a complete bunch of tales and jokes going round that no person else was aware of. We’ve fashioned a charitable group, Buddies of Friars Basketball, the place we’re organizing a golf event every summer time and all of the gamers who’re able to becoming a member of are coming over. It is fairly cool. A pleasant setting the place everyone might be ourselves and revel in their lives.
I can not consider how delicate Coach Pitino is now. These items at St. John’s is extraordinarily delicate. Earlier this yr when he was taking part in Windfall, they have been down at halftime and he had the speech that is been going throughout the web. That is only a primary, delicate speech. No massive deal. I imply, that was nothing in comparison with what we had.
Coming Wednesday on FOX Sports activities: Half 2 in our Postcards of Pitino collection exploring Pitino’s glory years at Kentucky (1989-97) and Louisville (2001-17), which included one nationwide championship at every faculty.
Michael Cohen covers faculty soccer and faculty basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.
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