For Rick Pitino, the St. John’s defeat to Duke wasn’t just another March Madness loss; it was something more personal. The Red Storm lost to the Blue Devils 75-80 in a back-and-forth game. The sting of the loss was so profound that Pitino is now delaying his decision on a major, lucrative contract.

Per Basketball Insider Adam Zagoria, Pitino hasn’t signed the new, restructured contract offered by the Red Storm’s front office.

“We’ll all take some time off and just look back, I think every day, as we have in the past, with great pride in what they did, the fight that they had, the people they were. Then we all take some time off because it’s much needed,” Pitino said as per Zagoria’s source.

For context, Pitino’s delay in deciding on his contract doesn’t indicate anything about his immediate future. His initial contract is still active for three more seasons, running through 2029. The official provisions of this restructured contract aren’t yet in the public domain. As a result, it’s difficult to say whether it extends his stay beyond 2029 or just improves his financial terms.

According to a report, the contract is slated to make Rick Pitino one of the highest-paid coaches in the circuit. It will pay him around $7M per year, well above the $3.3M he’s reported to earn now. The contract was presented to him a couple of weeks ago via his agent, Evan Daniels. But since then, he hasn’t signed the contract. “Yes [they made an offer], but I haven’t signed it or seen it,” Pitino had said during that time.

While the restructured contract signing with Pitino will possibly see an update in the next few weeks, St. John’s Round of 16 defeat seems to carry much more than an emotional weight for him. “We fought hard, and we fought hard the whole season. We were all very disappointed that we didn’t have a chance to win a National Championship,” Pitino said in his press conference.

Pitino’s team’s journey this season has been one for the books. With a Big East regular season title and tournament championship already secured this season, the National Championships are the only missing trophy from the case. But as reality set in, it was Jon Scheyer and Duke standing between this generational success.

St. John’s was in control for much of the contest, fueled by double-digit scoring from seniors Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, and Dillon Mitchell. The Red Storm even held a two-point lead with just four minutes remaining, making the eventual collapse all the more stunning. But with Isaiah Evans and Cameron Boozer’s late shots from deep, the game shifted quickly.

Rick Pitino Weighs In on the Major Flaw That Cost His Team in the Crucial Juncture

Rick Pitino’s team’s scoring was a bit off against a known nemesis. The Red Storm scored just 41% from the deep, scoring just 13-for-32 from the three-point line. But at the end of the day, it was much more than cold shooting that concluded their dream run. And Pitino addressed it perfectly in his press conference.

“I never look at offense as a reason you lose,” Pitino said. “I always look at offense. And we couldn’t guard them to the basket, and that’s the reason we lost the game. It’s as simple as that. We made our mistakes; it’s no one’s fault. They all tried their tails off to win this game. Very proud of them, each and every one, very proud of them.”

The defense looked absolutely clueless against the Blue Devils and their strong offensive players, including Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans. Pitino’s frustration was rooted in a defense that simply couldn’t get a stop, allowing Duke to shoot over 53% from the field. The problems were compounded by a lack of discipline, as 20 fouls gifted the Blue Devils 24 free-throw attempts, which proved to be the difference in a tight game.

In a tightrope game, these points cost the Red Storm immensely, as on the other end, the Blue Devils just gave away 8 free throws. While the season ended in a major agonizing fashion for Rick Pitino and St. John’s, tougher challenges might await them next season. The team will see a complete revamp, with several players, including Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins, all set to leave after their senior season. Therefore, the Red Storm will have a heck of a job rebuilding the team this offseason.

And this is where St. John’s will value Pitino’s experience immensely. As mentioned earlier, he is contractually bound and has clearly hinted that he will be at the helm of the program next season.

But they will look to still get this restructured contract signed as quickly as possible to firmly value him for his contribution to the program. And possibly also lock him beyond 2029, to carry forward this journey that has only taken the team’s graph in the positive direction.