Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley. Two fiery coaches. Two basketball minds who wear their hearts on their sleeves. They’ve clashed six times already. But neither has had full control. Each one wants that win. Badly! For Big East fans, it’s a dream matchup. Two Hall of Famers going head-to-head. Passion. Energy. Drama. Nothing beats this. Every meeting feels like a Final Four clash. That’s how much it means. More importantly, there’s respect. Healthy competition fuels both. And that’s great for the game. The rivalry brings the best out of them. And fans love every second of it. Next season? It could be the best one yet. For the first time, both might have equally good rosters. That’s what makes this so exciting. Analysts can’t wait. Neither can the fans.

It’s no secret there’s a spark of bad blood between these two. Take the 2024 Big East Tournament semifinal at Madison Square Garden. Both coaches got technical fouls within seconds after a heated exchange involving a courtside fan—Pitino’s pal, Tom O’Grady—who was yelling at Hurley and the refs. Hurley tried to get O’Grady tossed, then jokingly said he let him stay for “karma.” That fiery moment, with MSG buzzing like the Big East’s glory days, showed just how intense this rivalry gets.

When you break down their head-to-head battles, Dan Hurley holds the edge. He started strong. Their first clash? March Madness 2023. Pitino was still at Iona. Hurley’s UConn squad dominated, 87-63. Adama Sanogo was unstoppable with 28 points. Then came three more! Pitino moved to St. John’s. But the results didn’t change. Hurley kept winning. One of those came in the 2024 Big East semis at The Garden. Four straight losses. In under a year. That stung.

But last season? Different story. Pitino finally struck back. February 8th at Gampel Pavilion. RJ Luis Jr. hit a clutch jumper off a smart inbound. Huge road win. He finished with 21. Six of those came in the last 2:16. Then they met again. This time in NYC! And again, the Red Storm rolled– 89-75 at Madison Square Garden. Two straight wins. The current record? 4-2 in favor of Hurley. But next season promises to be even better. 

Rob Dauster from the Field of 68 podcast said it best. This rivalry? It’s what college basketball needs. Two titans. Two master tacticians. And possibly three games next season– including the Big East tourney. That’s pure gold for fans. Everyone wants the best vs the best. High-level coaching. High-intensity games. Packed arenas. Electric atmospheres. And let’s be honest–Pitino vs. Hurley? It sells.

He says,“I think that is kind of a best-case scenario not just for the Big East but really for college basketball. There’s a healthy amount of dislike between those two coaching staffs, those two programs, and those two head coaches specifically. That kind of rivalry–especially when it’s names as big as Rick Pitino and Dan Hurley–is the kind of thing that can cut through the noise of football season, that can cut through the noise of a Duke–Cameron Boozer kind of run, that can cut through the power of the SEC and the Big Ten.” 

Last season told two very different stories. Dan Hurley and UConn? Struggled all year! The Huskies never found their groove. They fell in the second round of the big dance, ending their pursuit of a rare 3-peat. A tough blow for the defending champs.But Pitino? It was a whole different story. He guided the Johnnies to their 4th Big East tournament title. A massive accomplishment. But their March Madness run was cut short by another Hall of Fame coach–John Calipari and his Arkansas team in the second round.

Both teams are gearing up for a big push in the March Madness next year. They’ve been working hard to get better. So, what moves did these two coaches make to strengthen their rosters? Let’s take a look at that!

Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino make big moves in the portal

But he wasn’t about to let that hold St. John’s back. Pitino made some huge moves. According to 247Sports, the Red Storm now have the second-best transfer portal class in the country. He brought in Ian Jackson (No. 8), Bryce Hopkins (No. 15), Joson Sanon (No. 23), and Oziyah Sellers (No. 110) to ensure all their issues from the last season were solved.

Ian Jackson, a five-star scorer who transferred from North Carolina, is set to run the point with his 11.9 points per game flair, while Bryce Hopkins, a 6-7 forward from Providence, brings All-Big East potential if he can stay healthy after past injuries. Pair them with Kadary Richmond—Seton Hall’s former leader at 15.7 points per game—and Pitino’s got a fast, tough squad built for his in-your-face defense.

Dan Hurley, though, has his own good news. He’s getting some key returnees. Captain Alex Karaban, Solo Ball, and Tarris Reed Jr. are all back. Plus, they added Silas Demary Jr. from Georgia. And don’t forget about Braylon Mullins, the prized 5-star recruit. He’s expected to make a big impact this season. The Huskies are looking stacked on paper.

It remains to be seen how these two programs fare. But according to Rob Dauster, both will be in the mix for the Big East Title. And honestly, what could be better than seeing Dan Hurley and Rick Pitino face off for the championship? Stay tuned, because this season is shaping up to be something special!