Rick Pitino Claps Back at Criticism of Viral Tweet About UConn’s Dan Hurley

Some fans thought the St. John’s Red Storm coach was trolling his UConn Huskies counterpart on the heels of a contentious game.

UConn’s win over St. John’s in the Big East tournament semifinals Friday produced some intense moments on the court between coaches Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino, which observers later assumed transferred over to social media.

At one point in the game, the coaches received technical fouls in the same minute. Hurley’s technical stemmed from his wanting a loud St. John’s fan kicked out of Madison Square Garden. In that moment, his dad, legendary high school coach Bob Hurley, was standing by his son’s side.

The tension was palpable.

So when Pitino tweeted about a “special” moment between father and son, many fans assumed the Red Storm coach was trolling his Huskies counterpart.

“Love that Danny Hurley has his Dad next to him - so special,” Pitino wrote on X, formerly Twitter, Saturday evening.

Love that Danny Hurley has his Dad next to him - so special

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 16, 2024

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A couple hours later, Pitino clarified his intent and said he meant no offense in the tweet.

“What is wrong with people, I meant that Bob Hurley Sr. being there with his son is so so special,” Pitino wrote. “Absurd society.”

What is wrong with people, I meant that Bob Hurley Sr. being there with his son is so so special. Absurd society 🤦🏼‍♂️

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) March 17, 2024

Pitino later focused his energy on St. John’s missing out on an NCAA tournament bid. The Red Storm coach also pre-emptively declined a potential invitation to the NIT.