{"id":275950,"date":"2025-05-09T12:01:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-09T12:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/09\/not-looking-down-there-at-the-other-sideline\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:08:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:08:33","slug":"not-looking-down-there-at-the-other-sideline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/09\/not-looking-down-there-at-the-other-sideline\/","title":{"rendered":"Not looking down there at the other sideline"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" data-postid=\"4910274\" data-slug-id=\"2510973\">\n<div class=\"vidazoo-player-container\">\n<span class=\"vidazoo-close-btn  hidden \"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/cmc-predictor\/v2\/cross-icon.png?w=40\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" alt=\"close\"\/><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Xavier&#8217;s newly appointed coach, Richard Pitino, brings a focused mindset to his first season in the Big East, brushing aside emotional narratives tied to familiar opponents.<\/p>\n<p>Asked about facing St. John\u2019s, coached by his father, Rick Pitino, and Providence College, his alma mater, Pitino addressed the emotional layer of facing St. John\u2019s during Thursday&#8217;s interview with Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cI don&#8217;t get real emotional in any of the games, whether it&#8217;s playing my dad, whether it&#8217;s playing at Providence College or whatever like for me, I understand what my job is,\u201d Pitino said (9:23). <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><template id=\"also-read-articles-template\"><\/p>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cMy job is to go do my very, very best to win and to build a sustainable championship program, and it doesn&#8217;t matter who we play, I&#8217;m not looking down there at the other sideline. I&#8217;m not I&#8217;m just worried about Xavier with every game that we play.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"sportskeeda-embed\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-basketball\/embed\">\n<div class=\"yt-wrapper\">                    <noscript><iframe title=\"Richard Pitino on why choosing a Big East School was a Must &amp; why getting old is the goal\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hiq0NI7-EFs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/noscript>                    <\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube\" data-embed=\"Hiq0NI7-EFs\">\n<div class=\"play-button\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"370\" width=\"660\" data-img=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Hiq0NI7-EFs\/sddefault.jpg\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/Hiq0NI7-EFs\/sddefault.jpg\" class=\"lazy-img\" alt=\"youtube-cover\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Pitino called the school a \u201cspecial place\u201d with \u201camazing memories.\u201d His father also coached Providence in 1987, adding historical weight to the connection.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cI mean, I&#8217;ve had amazing memories, whether it&#8217;s at Providence College as a student, my dad obviously coaching there in 1987,\u201d he added. \u201cIt&#8217;s a special place to me. I appreciate it. It shaped me. I&#8217;ve got great friends who I still know, who went there and keep in touch with but it doesn&#8217;t matter who we play. We&#8217;re going to try to win every game.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>A native of the Northeast, Pitino called joining the Big East a long-standing goal.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Richard Pitino joins Xavier following back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Xavier University named Richard Pitino their new coach in March. He succeeds Sean Miller, who parted ways with the program after the 2024\u201325 season.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sk-app-thumbnail\" alt=\"Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, left, New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino - Source: Imagn\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg\"\/><img class=\"lazy-img\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" data-img=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=190 190w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=720 720w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=640 640w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=1045 1045w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=1200 1200w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=1460 1460w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=1600 1600w, https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg 1920w\" alt=\"Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, left, New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino - Source: Imagn\" data-img-low=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/editor\/2025\/05\/25751419-1746790149.jpeg?w=640\" bad-src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,&lt;svg%20xmlns=%22http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%201920%201280%22&gt;&lt;\/svg&gt;\"\/><figcaption>Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, left, New Mexico head coach Richard Pitino &#8211; Source: Imagn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Pitino joins Xavier from New Mexico, where he led the Lobos to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Under his leadership, New Mexico won the Mountain West Tournament in 2024 and secured the regular season title in 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The hire brings a notable storyline to the Big East, placing Richard Pitino in the same conference as his father, Rick Pitino.<\/p>\n<p>The elder Pitino reportedly advocated for his son to take the Xavier job. The two last met in November 2024, when Rick Pitino\u2019s St. John\u2019s team defeated New Mexico.<\/p>\n<p>Richard takes over a Xavier program looking to return to national relevance, while the upcoming Big East season sets the stage for a high-profile father-son coaching rivalry.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-post-rating-widget\">\n<p><template id=\"post-rating-feedback-modal-template\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-feedback-box\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-content\">\n<div class=\"post-rating-feedback-data\">\n<p>Why did you not like this content?<\/p>\n<p><textarea id=\"dislike-feedback-text\" rows=\"4\" placeholder=\"Please type your feedback...\"\/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<button class=\"close\">Cancel<\/button><br \/>\n<button class=\"submit\">Submit<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/template><\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-widget-parent hidden\">\n<div class=\"rating-parent-container\">\n<div class=\"rating-content-holder\">\n<p>Was this article helpful?<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-rating-action-container\">\n<div class=\"like-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-like-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"like\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"like selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dislike-container\">\n<button class=\"post-rating-dislike-button post-rating-button\" data-action=\"dislike\"><br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"post-dis-like-image post-rating-image\" src=\"https:\/\/staticg.sportskeeda.com\/like-articles\/upvote-icon-grey.svg\" height=\"20\" width=\"20\" alt=\"avatar selected\"\/><br \/>\n<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\nThank You for feedback\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"post-author-info-parent\">\n<span class=\"about-the-author\">About the author<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-info-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-pic-holder\">\n<img decoding=\"async\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"author-pic\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,&lt;svg width=\" height=\"100\"\/><rect width=\"100\" height=\"100\" style=\"fill:rgb(128, 128, 128);\"\/>&#8221; data-lazy=&#8221;https:\/\/keedag.sportskeeda.com\/user-pic\/1667033-1700231841-200.jpg?w=200&#8243;<br \/>\nalt=&#8221;MD Asif Ansari&#8221; height=&#8221;72&#8243; width=&#8221;72&#8243;&gt;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"author-bio-detail-holder\">\n<div class=\"author-bio\">\n<p class=\"author-bio\" id=\"author-bio-text\">\nMohammad Asif Ansari is a journalist covering college football and basketball at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor&#8217;s degree in Technology and brings four years of experience as an NFL and EdTech writer. <\/p>\n<p>While acknowledging the dominance of professional leagues like the NBA and NFL, Asif is drawn to the raw energy and unpredictability of college sports, particularly football and basketball. <\/p>\n<p>Jalen Hurts stands out as Asif&#8217;s all-time favorite college player, celebrated for his remarkable success on the football field and impressive leadership skills.<\/p>\n<p>In his reporting, Asif seeks to capture the essence of college athletics, delving into the human stories behind the game. From the trials and triumphs of student-athletes to the strategic genius of coaches like Nick Saban, he strives to paint a vivid picture of the college sports landscape.<\/p>\n<p>Asif ensures that his reporting is both informative and ethically sound, meticulously verifying sources and facts to provide readers with reliable and trustworthy content.<\/p>\n<p>When not writing, Asif practices basic MMA, hones his biking skills and expands his language proficiency in Urdu and Arabic.\n<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"author-know-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/author\/md-asif-ansari\" aria-label=\"Author know more\">Know More<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bottom-tagline bottom\" data-tab=\"bottom\">\n<p><em>Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey &#8211; who is NCAAW&#8217;s highest-paid coach? Find out <\/em><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-basketball\/5-highest-paid-women-s-college-basketball-coaches-2024-25-season-ft-kim-mulkey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-is-sponsored=\"false\" class=\"bottom_tagline_link\" data-tab=\"bottom\">here<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\n<span class=\"publisher-name\">Edited by Krutik Jain<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportskeeda.com\/college-basketball\/news-xavier-hc-richard-pitino-gets-candid-facing-st-john-s-alma-mater-providence-not-looking-sideline\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] Xavier&#8217;s newly appointed coach, Richard Pitino, brings a focused mindset to his first season in the Big East, brushing aside emotional narratives tied to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":275951,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[180],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275950"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=275950"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/275950\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/275951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=275950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=275950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=275950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}