For the first time in the illustrious history of the Associated Press Coach of the Year award, the honor has been split between two coaching legends who have both rewritten the playbook of modern college basketball. Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and St. John’s Rick Pitino have been named AP Co-Coaches of the Year, a groundbreaking moment that highlights not only their coaching brilliance but also their lasting impact on two very different programs.
This tie—unprecedented since the award’s inception in 1967—underscores the seismic seasons both Pearl and Pitino orchestrated. For Pearl, it’s a crowning achievement in a year filled with accolades and milestones. For Pitino, it’s yet another feather in the cap of one of the game’s most iconic tacticians, who has reinvented himself once again in his return to the Big East.
Together, they share more than a plaque—they share history.
Bruce Pearl: Building a Dynasty at Auburn
When Bruce Pearl arrived on the Plains in 2014, Auburn basketball was a program in need of direction, discipline, and belief. Fast forward a decade, and it has become a national powerhouse. This season, however, may be his most impressive work yet.
Guiding the Tigers to a 27-8 record and another deep NCAA Tournament run, Pearl displayed not just his signature sideline fire, but a level of coaching mastery that left fans and analysts in awe. He’s developed a system built on defensive intensity, offensive efficiency, and elite player development. Auburn finished the season ranked in the top ten in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom—a rare feat even for the nation’s top programs.
But stats only tell part of the story.
Pearl’s influence is measured in culture. Auburn isn’t just a contender—it’s a program with expectations. That’s Bruce Pearl’s doing. From recruiting high-profile talents like Jabari Smith Jr. and Sharife Cooper in previous years, to cultivating under-the-radar prospects into stars, Pearl has shown he can win with any hand he’s dealt.
This season’s squad, anchored by a mix of veterans and emerging stars, reflected his blueprint for success. Players like Johni Broome, who transferred from Morehead State, flourished under Pearl’s system, becoming All-SEC performers and embodying the grit and toughness that defines Auburn basketball.
And the numbers back it up—Auburn finished with a top-15 NET ranking, boasted one of the nation’s stingiest defenses, and won the SEC Tournament in resounding fashion. Pearl’s team didn’t just win games—they made statements.
Rick Pitino: The Comeback Conductor at St. John’s
While Pearl’s journey has been about building sustained success, Rick Pitino’s path to AP Coach of the Year honors tells a tale of rebirth and redemption.
After three years of dominance at Iona, Pitino took the reins of a faltering St. John’s program in 2023 with one mission: return the Red Storm to national relevance. In just one season, he’s not only accomplished that mission—he’s shattered expectations.
St. John’s, projected by many to finish in the middle of the Big East pack, became one of the most talked-about teams in the country under Pitino’s guidance. The Red Storm surged to a 25-10 record, notched significant wins over top-ranked opponents, and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.
Pitino’s system—centered around relentless full-court pressure, quick offensive sets, and sharp three-point shooting—gave the Red Storm a new identity. He instilled confidence in a team that lacked direction and turned Madison Square Garden into a raucous home-court advantage once more.
Pitino also showed his adaptability. Gone were the rigid hierarchies of old-school coaching. This season, he embraced analytics, leaned into player empowerment, and built deep rotations to sustain high-tempo play. Veterans like Daniss Jenkins and Joel Soriano blossomed under Pitino, while young talent emerged with poise well beyond their years.
To many, Pitino’s return to a major program came with questions—chief among them: could he still win at the highest level in today’s game?
That question has been emphatically answered. Pitino didn’t just win—he transformed.
History Made: The First-Ever Tie
It’s not often that the AP Coach of the Year vote ends in a deadlock. In fact, it’s never happened—until now. The voting committee, comprised of journalists from across the nation, found themselves evenly split between two coaching titans whose impacts were equally undeniable.
“We were unanimous in our respect, if not our votes,” said one AP voter. “How do you choose between Bruce Pearl transforming Auburn into an SEC juggernaut and Rick Pitino resurrecting a sleeping giant at St. John’s in a single season? It just made sense to honor both.”
For Pearl, this marks his first AP Coach of the Year award—a recognition long overdue for a coach who’s brought consistent success to programs like Milwaukee, Tennessee, and now Auburn. It validates years of elite coaching often overshadowed by larger-market programs.
For Pitino, it’s his fourth such honor, having previously won in 1987 (Providence), 1989 (Kentucky), and 1990. His inclusion in this historic tie serves as a testament to both longevity and adaptability—a Hall of Fame coach proving he can still be among the best, decades later.
Mutual Respect Between Masters
Despite being competitors in the landscape of college hoops, there’s deep mutual admiration between Pearl and Pitino.
“Rick’s a legend,” Pearl said in a statement. “What he’s done at St. John’s, turning that program around so quickly, it’s remarkable. I’ve always looked up to him—not just for the championships, but for how he teaches the game.”
Pitino returned the praise: “Bruce has done an unbelievable job at Auburn. The way his teams play—how hard they defend, how well they share the ball—it’s the model of great coaching. I’m honored to share this award with him.”
Their shared recognition isn’t just a celebration of this season—it’s a salute to two careers that have, in their own ways, defined modern college basketball.
Pearl’s Journey: From Milwaukee to the Mountaintop
It’s easy to forget where Pearl started. A former Boston College assistant who became a whistleblower in a recruiting scandal in the late ’80s, Pearl’s path to prominence wasn’t easy. He was blackballed for a time before reviving his career in Division II, then leading the University of Southern Indiana to a national title.
From there, he took over at Milwaukee, turning the Panthers into a mid-major force and earning national attention with a Sweet 16 run. At Tennessee, he quickly elevated the Vols to a top-10 program, but his tenure ended amid NCAA violations and a brief show-cause penalty.
Then came the second act at Auburn—a program long considered a basketball afterthought in a football-dominated SEC. Pearl not only made it relevant—he made it a contender. A Final Four appearance in 2019, multiple SEC titles, and now AP Coach of the Year recognition mark a coaching legacy that’s come full circle.
Pitino’s Comeback: A Hall of Famer Reimagined
Rick Pitino’s career reads like a screenplay. The first coach to take three different schools to the Final Four (Providence, Kentucky, and Louisville), he won national titles in 1996 and 2013 (the latter later vacated). His time at Louisville ended in controversy, leading to a five-year hiatus from the Power Five world.
He spent time coaching in Greece and rebuilding at Iona, where he proved he could still win—and win big. When St. John’s called, it felt like destiny. The New York native returning to his roots, to a program yearning for its glory days.
In one season, Pitino delivered not just results, but relevance.
Now, sharing AP Coach of the Year honors, he stands as a symbol of reinvention.
Impact Beyond the Hardwood
Both Pearl and Pitino have left their marks not only through wins but through community engagement. Pearl has been instrumental in charity work across Alabama, particularly through his involvement with AUTLIVE, which raises cancer awareness. His connection to Auburn fans runs deep, often saying, “We’re not just building a team—we’re building a family.”
Pitino, meanwhile, has worked to reshape the culture at St. John’s—emphasizing academics, personal accountability, and professional preparation. He’s reengaged a dormant fan base and restored energy to one of the sport’s most storied arenas.
Both coaches are symbols of something bigger than basketball. They are leaders, mentors, and architects of belief.
Looking Ahead
As Pearl prepares to reload Auburn for another deep run next season and Pitino aims to turn St. John’s into a perennial Big East threat, the future looks as bright as ever for these two titans.
The AP’s decision to honor both men isn’t just about what they accomplished in 2024—it’s about what they continue to represent: the ever-evolving brilliance of college basketball coaching.
In a game that constantly changes—where the transfer portal and NIL dominate headlines—Pearl and Pitino have shown that foundational coaching still matters. Culture still matters. Leadership still matters.
And so, in a year where excellence could not be confined to one sideline, Bruce Pearl and Rick Pitino will forever be linked in college basketball history—as co-architects of greatness, as mentors of men, and as co-recipients of one of the sport’s highest honors.