Rick Pitino Throws First Pitch for the Yankees Before Weighing in on Knicks Job

Rick Pitino throws out the first pitch at a Yankees game, via Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Rick Pitino earned his pinstripes. The former Kentucky head coach brought St. John’s basketball back to life in his second season on the job. Even though the Johnnies did not ride that wave of momentum very far into the NCAA Tournament, Pitino is still riding high from a Big East Title with the Red Storm.

The New York Yankees invited the Hall of Famer to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Wednesday night’s game against the Guardians. The appearance by Pitino proved to be the one highlight. The Yankees lost 4-0. What a shame.

Pitino is 72 years old, but he had no trouble firing a moonball across the plate. He did the right thing and threw the first pitch from the rubber before exchanging jerseys with Yankees manager Aaron Boone.

Thanks to @StJohnsBBall Head Coach and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Pitino for throwing out tonight's ceremonial 1st pitch 🙌 pic.twitter.com/OL6lQxJkSi
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 4, 2025

Did you really think Pitino threw one pitch and got out of there? Of course not. He relished his time in the spotlight. We got to hear his thoughts on Aaron Judge and where he compares to all-time Yankees. Pitino spoke with reporters about his upcoming St. John’s team, but I was more interested to hear what he had to say about the Knicks.

Pitino was one of many who enthusiastically hopped on the bandwagon during the Knicks’ wild postseason ride. He could not comprehend why the team was so quick to move on from Tom Thibodeau after the Eastern Conference Finals loss. It begs the question: Would Pitino be open to returning to Madison Square Garden as the Knicks’ head coach? He was no slouch during his run from 1987-89, prior to making the move to Kentucky.

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In the Yankees’ broadcast booth, Michael Kay directly asked Pitino if he wants the job. “Absolutely not.”

If Rick Pitino says absolutely not, there’s absolutely a chance he’s wearing orange and blue next season.

Another First Pitch for a Former Cat

Rick Pitino wasn’t the only old Kentucky coach who delivered a first pitch on Wednesday night. The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, a Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, invited Liam Coen to provide the ceremonial start. The first-year Jags coach looked like a former quarterback on the mound, delivering the ball right across the middle of the plate.

pic.twitter.com/0UCYb8w828
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) June 5, 2025

This is not the highlight that Jacksonville Jaguars fans are talking about at OTAs. Jacksonville made a big move to trade up in the NFL Draft and select two-way Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter. The human highlight reel had his first jaw-dropping moment in a Jags’ uniform. That Boy’s Good.