Rick Pitino Passes Roy Williams in Career Wins As St. John's Outlasts Xavier

St. John's coach Rick Pitino earned his 904th career win, passing legendary coach Roy Williams for third place on the all-time list.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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St. John's coach Rick Pitino passed the legendary Roy Williams for third-place all-time in career wins as the No. 17 Red Storm (19-5, 12-1 Big East) beat Richard Pitino and the Xavier Musketeers (12-12, 4-9 Big East) 87-82 in overtime on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Pitino praised his son's coaching after the game, saying Richard's staff "totally outcoached us" in both meetings.

Why it matters

Pitino's milestone win over his son's team highlights the storied coaching career of the elder Pitino, who has now surpassed the legendary Roy Williams for third place on the all-time wins list. The game also showcased the coaching acumen of Richard Pitino, who has quickly built Xavier into a competitive Big East program.

The details

St. John's star Zuby Ejiofor scored 25 points, six of which came in overtime, to lead the Red Storm to victory. Bryce Hopkins added 19 points and nine rebounds for St. John's. The elder Pitino is now 5-1 all-time against his son Richard.

  • On Monday night, February 10, 2026, the game was played at Madison Square Garden.

The players

Rick Pitino

The head coach of the St. John's Red Storm and a legendary college basketball coach who has now passed Roy Williams for third place on the all-time wins list.

Richard Pitino

The head coach of the Xavier Musketeers and the son of Rick Pitino. Richard's staff was praised by his father for "totally outcoaching" St. John's in both meetings this season.

Zuby Ejiofor

The star player for St. John's who scored 25 points, including 6 in overtime, to lead the Red Storm to victory.

Bryce Hopkins

A key contributor for St. John's, scoring 19 points and grabbing 9 rebounds in the win over Xavier.

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What they’re saying

“I hope we don't play them in the Big East tournament. I think my son's brilliant. I'm proud of him. I hate getting any milestone against him, but I go away from tonight saying my son's a hell of a coach.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's Red Storm (Associated Press)

“In two games against them, he's totally outcoached me, and their staff totally outcoached us. We could not guard them. We could not stop them in their offense. They got us in bad switches. They executed. All the credit goes to Richard, his staff, his players. They've outplayed us twice, but we just gutted it out in the final minutes to come away with a victory.”

— Rick Pitino, Head Coach, St. John's Red Storm (Associated Press)

What’s next

The two teams could potentially meet again in the Big East tournament, which would provide another opportunity for the younger Pitino to try to defeat his father's squad.

The takeaway

Rick Pitino's milestone win over his son's team showcases the legendary coach's longevity and success, while also highlighting the coaching prowess of the younger Pitino, who has quickly built Xavier into a competitive Big East program.