Pitino is rarely mentioned in such a debate in part because his 758 career victories, his .712 winning percentage and even his two NCAA titles (one of which the NCAA “vacated” due to sanctions) fall far short of other contenders. [Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K]

Now in his second season at St. John’s, Rick Pitino led the sixth-ranked Red Storm to a 27-4 regular-season record, including 18-2 in conference play, and to the top seed in this week’s Big East

Rick Pitino has won his first Big East Coach of the Year award and RJ Luis Jr. took Player of the Year honors after they propelled a resurgent St.