Rick Pitino Jokingly Bemoans Items Stolen From St. John's Office Robbery

Two burglars reportedly broke into the legendary coach's office on Tuesday.
St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino looks on from the crowd in support of his son, New Mexico Lobos head coach Richard Pitino, during the first half against the Clemson Tigers in the NCAA tournament.
St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino looks on from the crowd in support of his son, New Mexico Lobos head coach Richard Pitino, during the first half against the Clemson Tigers in the NCAA tournament. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
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The office of St. John's men's basketball coach Rick Pitino reportedly was robbed on Tuesday by two men who broke in to Carnesecca Arena.

The New York Post reported Thursday that two burglars ran off with $375 worth of goods from Pitino's office, ranging from a basketball, a sword, a mask and bottles of alcohol.

Shortly after the reports emerged, Pitino joked that he is particularly upset with one stolen item that left in the hands of the thieves—an expensive bottle of wine.

Two hours later, Pitino updated that, yes, he was joking about the six-liter bottle of 1985 Petrus Pomerol.

According to online retailer Cask Cartell, that bottle of wine is estimated to be worth just under $100,000. If that was actually true, Pitino would be down a big chunk of cash—and even worse, down some tasty wine.

Pitino just wrapped up his first season coaching the Red Storm in Queens, as he led them to a 20–13 record—their best campaign since 2018-19—and narrowly missed the NCAA tournament.

Pitino enters the 2024-25 season on the second year of a six-year, $20 million contract he signed with St. John's in 2023.


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Tom Dierberger
TOM DIERBERGER

Tom Dierberger is a staff writer and editor on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in November 2023 after stints at FOX Sports, Bally Sports and NBC Sports. Dierberger has a bachelor's in communication from St. John's University. In his spare time, he can be seen throwing out his arm while playing fetch with his dog, Walter B. Boy.