Rick Pitino, St. John's have mutual interest after Mike Anderson fired, per reports

Iona head coach Rick Pitino
Iona head coach Rick Pitino
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St. John's and Iona head coach Rick Pitino have mutual interest, according to multiple reports, after the Red Storm announced Friday that they fired head coach Mike Anderson after four seasons.

The Johnnies finished the season with an 18-15 record after an overtime loss to Marquette in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.

Pitino's 26-7 Gaels are seeking the MAAC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The tourney's top seed faces No. 11 Marist in Saturday's final.

In 2019, Pitino told Adam Zagoria he "would bring St. John's to the elite level not seen since Louie (Carnesecca) roamed the sidelines." Pitino was coaching in Greece at the time.

Pitino has coached at Iona since 2020. He was the head coach of the Providence Friars from 1985 to 1987, the Kentucky Wildcats from 1989 to 1997 and the Louisville Cardinals from 2001 to 2017.

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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Rick Pitino is top candidate to replace Mike Anderson at St. John's