Big East Basketball: Ranking all 11 head coaches for 2024-25 season

2. Rick Pitino (St. John’s)

One of college basketball’s living legends, Pitino has a boatload of experience across the last fifty years. He was head coach at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky, Louisville, and Iona, along with two NBA franchises. He won national championships with both Kentucky and Louisville and took the Friars to the Final Four nearly forty years ago. Pitino has a ton of experience in the Big East and was a phenomenal hire by St. John’s last offseason.

Pitino’s very presence elevates this Red Storm program. We could talk at great length about his previous success, though that much is clear. Year one with St. John’s was a solid first step with 20 wins and just missing out on the Big Dance. Many expect the Red Storm to contend in the Big East for as long as Pitino runs the show and you will not find another coach in the nation with this type of experience in his career.

1. Dan Hurley (Connecticut)

No argument can be made here; what Hurley has accomplished in the last eighteen months far outweighs any other coach in the country. A former high school coach in New Jersey, Hurley was a point guard in the Big East at Seton Hall long before head coaching experience at Wagner and Rhode Island. Hurley broke a Tourney drought and won a pair of games in the Big Dance with the Rams before taking the UConn job in 2018.

Hurley inherited a mess left behind by Kevin Ollie at a program drowning in the AAC. In subsequent years he’d lead the Huskies back to prominence and back to the Big East. Most notably, Connecticut has now won the last two national titles, with a pair of dominant and memorable runs through the NCAA Tournament. Hurley has built an absolute menace of a program and is a two-time champion with more success likely on the way.