Iona coach Rick Pitino has been named the new coach at St. John's, returning to the Big East Conference with ambitions of restoring the Red Storm to national prominence.
The school announced Pitino's hiring but did not disclose terms. Sources told ESPN that Pitino agreed to a six-year contract.
He will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at Madison Square Garden. Pitino informed his Gaels team in a meeting Monday afternoon that he was leaving the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference squad that he led to two NCAA tournament appearances in his three seasons on the job.
Pitino thanking the Iona administration and his players in a series of tweets Monday. "… I'm not sad it ended. I'm so grateful it happened," he tweeted, adding: «To my players, the last three years.