Rick Pitino Talks NIL, Calls Out Coaches Who Disagree With It

St. John's basketball coach challenges rivals complaining about NIL landscape

The NIL landscape in college basketball has changed the way coaches can recruit. In return, certain coaches have voiced their frustration about the new world.

Some student-athletes are more interested in making money than they are in winning and developing. For many of them, this is the last stage of basketball in their careers and if they can make money with it, why not capitalize on it?

Rick Pitino of St. John's spoke about the change in college sports, saying that these athletes are now professionals. Pitino also called out the coaches who complain about NIL deals.

“We’re no longer coaching amateurs. We’re coaching professional basketball players. Some coaches are just non-stop whiners about this. I’m not going to complain about it.” 

“We’re no longer coaching amateurs. We’re coaching professional basketball players. Some coaches are just non-stop whiners about this. I’m not going to complain about it.”

Rick Pitino on NIL: pic.twitter.com/c9fzNwyEXv

— John Fanta (@John_Fanta) February 22, 2024

Billionaire St. John's alum Mike Repole vouched to help the basketball program and will commit to whatever it takes for them to be the powerhouse they once were.

Perhaps those comments made Pitino feel the way he does about NIL deals.

The Red Storm hit the portal hard after Pitino got the job last year. With the way college basketball has evolved, he's expected to be active in the portal again this offseason. 

The way to quick success in college basketball is now landing players from the transfer portal. Transfers have experience that freshmen don't have, something that's extremely valuable in college basketball.

For St. John's to get to the place they want to be, Repole and other alum will have to help out. It's a competitive space and Pitino wants to take his team to the top of the top.

Having NIL funds will be a major reason why he can do that.