Xavier has named New Mexico’s Richard Pitino as its next head coach, the school announced Tuesday night. Pitino steps in after Sean Miller departed for Texas on Sunday following three seasons with the Musketeers. Miller was introduced at Texas on Tuesday.
Xavier finished the season 22-11 under Miller, earning an NCAA Tournament berth and securing a First Four victory over Texas. Pitino, who led New Mexico to success in the Mountain West, now takes the reins in Cincinnati as Xavier looks to build on its recent tournament appearance.
Who is Xavier’s New HC Richard Pitino’s Wife?
Breaking: Xavier is expected to hire New Mexico’s Richard Pitino as its next head coach, sources confirmed to @jeffborzello and @PeteThamel.
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Xavier Lands Richard Pitino After His Success at New Mexico
“We are excited to welcome Richard Pitino as our new men’s basketball head coach,” Christopher said. “He has proven himself as a winner at New Mexico and previously at Minnesota. His success as an assistant under Rick Pitino at Louisville and Billy Donovan at Florida stood out. We had tremendous interest in our coaching position, and Richard emerged as the right fit to take us to championship success in the BIG EAST and NCAA Tournament.”
Pitino led New Mexico to a 27-8 record this past season, securing a first-round NCAA Tournament win over Marquette before falling to Michigan State. Under his leadership, the Lobos improved their win total each season, culminating in a 17-3 conference record and the 2024-25 Mountain West regular season title.
His tenure at New Mexico also included a 26-10 campaign in 2023-24, during which the Lobos won the Mountain West Tournament by defeating Air Force, Boise State, Colorado State, and San Diego State in consecutive days. That season marked New Mexico’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014.
KEEP READING: Who Is Richard Pitino?
Before coaching the Lobos, Pitino spent eight seasons at Minnesota, during which he led the Gophers to two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT Championship. In 2017, he earned the Big Ten Coach of the Year award and had a 247-186 career record.
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