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When Richard Pitino was asked about the expectations for his first season at Xavier Tuesday afternoon, the 42-year-old took a deep breath before a slight chuckle.
Sure, Pitino’s team would have to forfeit if a game was played today with only two scholarship players left on the roster. That doesn’t mean he’s backing down from high expectations.
“We want to build a championship program,” Pitino said. “We want to be in the fight. I don’t care how many players when I took the job. I don’t care.”
Pitino, who was hired a week ago after a “whirlwind” trip in the coaching carousel, was formally introduced as Xavier’s next head coach Tuesday at Cintas Center.
Xavier hires Richard Pitino as their men’s basketball coach
Xavier hires Richard Pitino as their men’s basketball coach. Coach Pitino speaks at a welcoming ceremony at Xavier.
Pitino’s hiring is a new chapter and a fresh restart for Pitino and the Xavier basketball program. Xavier hadn’t hired a coach without ties to the program in over two decades. Pitino gets a second chance at a power conference, an opportunity earned through a four-year rebuilding tenure at New Mexico, which was one of the worst teams in college basketball (No. 294 in KenPom) when he took over in March 2021.
Over the last two seasons, Pitino led the Lobos to a regular season and conference tournament title in the Mountain West and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances. It’s the type of success any coach would want to sustain, even at a new job, with bigger challenges against tougher opponents.
“I tell you what, you get on a ladder, and you cut down the nets, that is addicting,” Pitino said. “We want to do it again. We want to compete for Big East titles every single year. We know it’s gonna be hard.”
Xavier Athletic Director Greg Christopher added: “I’m very confident Xavier basketball will continue marching to new…
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Publish date : 2025-04-01 23:18:00
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