Mike Ripoll is eager to help St. John again if I hired Rick Pitino: “Absolutely” shared
Albany – Mike Ripoll is keen to return to St. John as a donor to the basketball program If Queen’s School could close in on Rick Pitino.
The billionaire alumnus told The Post in an exclusive interview that the billionaire alumnus is firmly behind the potential hiring and ready to get involved.
With Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) coming up, his deep pockets will certainly benefit Storm Red, which shares the NIL space with the Storm Marketing collective.
“As a St. John’s alum, I’ve waited more than 15 years for St. John’s to hire a Hall of Fame coach like Rick Pitino,” Repole, vitaminwater co-founder, business mogul and Queens resident, said Saturday afternoon, on behalf of St. John’s. John continued his pursuit of Pitino, Iona’s coach. “He’s the kind of coach the university deserves from the day Louie Karnsica retired.”
Iona did not return to the region until Saturday afternoon, after losing the NCAA Tournament, Opening Round game to Connecticut at the MVP Arena in Albany.
Pitino was expected to meet with school officers sometime this weekend.
The 70-year-old said he wasn’t familiar enough with St. John’s and they want to see him before deciding on his future.
A source close to Pitino told The Post that he doesn’t want to move from his home in Mamaroneck, New York, to Winged Foot Golf Club, suggesting he’ll take the St. John’s job or stay in Iona.
Another source said st. Chief John Rev. Brian Shanley who almost hired Pitino 12 years ago When he was chief in Providence, he was “relentless” in his pursuit.
Ripoll, 54, has supported Fordham financially in recent years, but has maintained a relationship with St. said Mike Cragg, John’s athletic director.
Ripoll and Pitino are friends through their interest in horse racing – Ripoll won the Belmont Stakes last June and owns Ripoll Stables – and have known each other for over 15 years.
Pitino and Cragg are aware of Repole’s intentions, according to sources.
“If St. John’s offers Rick Pitino the job and Rick Pitino decides to accept the position, I will definitely be involved in helping the basketball team financially and helping Rick with nothing new,” Ripoll said.
“In trying to be a successful entrepreneur, there are certain people in different areas of business or sports, you look at what they do. Be it [the late] Kobe Bryant in basketball, Tom Brady in football, or Rick Pitino as a coach. These are the people I aspire to be in my business.”
Repole, a former booster, has been an outspoken critic of the latest St. Louis game. Research by John Cushing in 2019.
He went to WFAN and Torn former president Bobby Gambisaw and the board of trustees over what he felt was Cragg’s underpowered first choice.Bobby Hurley, and his brother Dan, now head coach at Connecticut, were not hired during the previous search in 2015.
The school selected Chris Mullin in 2015 and Mike Anderson in 2019, neither of whom passed.
“I think everything you said in that rant was accurate,” said Ripoll, who now resides in Florida. “That’s in the past, and it’s just that we’re going after a coach like Rick Pitino who told me the new administration is very different from the one I was talking about. I don’t have a relationship with Father Shanley, but everyone I’ve met and just knows him has incredibly positive things to say about him.” .
When asked if he would buy season tickets if Pitino actually took over at St. John, Ripoll laughed.
He joked, “With all the help I plan to give the basketball program, I’m hoping to get some free seats.”
