Rick Pitino has convinced one of the most beloved players in Louisville basketball history to leave his alma mater and join a rising national title contender. Peyton Siva is leaving Pat Kelsey’s staff at Louisville to become an assistant coach at St. John’s, reuniting with the Hall of Fame coach who helped turn him into one of college basketball’s most recognizable point guards.
Siva told the New York Post that leaving Louisville was one of the most difficult decisions of his life. He had spent the previous two seasons working for Kelsey, first as the program’s director of player development and basketball alumni relations before being promoted to a full-time assistant position.
But Pitino presented an opportunity Siva felt he could not reject.
That decision gives St. John’s another assistant with deep ties to Pitino and creates an emotional departure for a Louisville program with significant expectations of its own.
Peyton Siva reunites with the coach who helped define his career
Siva played for Pitino at Louisville from 2009 through 2013, developing into the leader of a team that reached consecutive Final Fours and won the 2013 national championship on the court.
The former point guard was named the Big East Tournament MVP twice and later enjoyed a lengthy professional career, primarily overseas. He returned to Louisville to begin building his coaching résumé and was inducted into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame in November 2025.
Siva said the chance to learn from Pitino as a coach was the biggest factor behind his decision. He called his former coach one of the three greatest college coaches ever and explained that few people could offer a better education as he continues establishing himself in the profession.
The move will also reunite Siva with St. John’s associate head coach and general manager Steve Masiello, who was on Louisville’s staff during Siva’s first two college seasons.
Siva replaces Greg Youncofski, who left St. John’s to join Richard Pitino’s staff at Xavier.
St. John’s adds another valuable voice for a loaded roster
Siva’s arrival is about more than nostalgia.
He worked closely with Louisville’s point guards and helped implement the Cardinals’ press last season. His experience playing in Europe should also be valuable for a St. John’s roster featuring several international players.
The Red Storm are coming off consecutive Big East regular-season and tournament championships, along with a Sweet 16 appearance. Pitino has built another roster capable of competing deep into March, bringing back Ian Jackson and Ruben Prey while adding Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou and international newcomers Quinn Ellis and Babacar Sane.
Siva’s energy, guard development background and understanding of Pitino’s system could make him an ideal addition at an important moment.
The timing, however, creates a difficult situation for Louisville. Kelsey must now replace a full-time assistant shortly before the beginning of the fall semester, when most qualified candidates have already committed elsewhere.
There could also be an uncomfortable reunion almost immediately. Louisville and St. John’s could meet in the second round of the Players Era Festival on Thanksgiving Day in Las Vegas.
If that matchup happens, Siva could find himself coaching against the school he helped carry to college basketball’s mountaintop. His decision may hurt Louisville fans now, but it also shows how seriously Pitino and St. John’s are approaching their championship pursuit.
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