Rick Pitino and St. John's were bounced from the 2025 NCAA tournament on Saturday after getting upset by John Calipari and No. 10 Arkansas.
Less than 24 hours later, Pitino was spotted in the crowd in Cleveland, having flown out to watch his son Richard coach New Mexico in their March Madness bout against Michigan State.
Pitino looked like a proud dad sitting in the stands at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, while his son looked to coach one of the biggest potential upsets of the tournament.
Rick Pitino looks like a proud papa ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Q9PoslroKv
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 24, 2025
Rick looked extremely pleased after the Lobos jumped out to an early 10-point lead over the Spartans. New Mexico would enter the half ahead by two, 31–29.
Richard has been the head coach for the Lobos men's basketball program since 2021. This year's NCAA tournament is the second time in as many years that he's led the team to the big dance. In 2024, New Mexico was defeated in the first round by No. 6 Clemson, but they fared better in '25, defeating No. 7 Marquette in the opening round of play.
Now, with his father in attendance, Richard will look to guide New Mexico to another improbable NCAA tournament victory.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rick Pitino Was a Proud Dad Watching Son Richard Coach New Mexico in March Madness.
