Rick Pitino and Bruce Pearl Make History as Co-Recipients of 2025 AP Coach of the Year

Pitino revitalized St. John's basketball with a record-breaking season, while Pearl sustained Auburn's dominance, leading them to the Final Four.

Rick Pitino and Bruce Pearl were named co-recipients of the 2025 AP Coach of the Year award, marking the first tie in the award's 58-year history.
Pitino led St. John's to a school-record 31 wins, Big East regular-season and tournament titles, and its highest AP ranking in 34 years, though the team exited in the NCAA Tournament's second round.
Pearl guided Auburn to a school-record 32 wins, an SEC regular-season title, and its second Final Four appearance since 2019, with the team preparing to face Florida in the semifinals.
Pitino became the first coach to lead six different programs to the NCAA Tournament and to win regular-season titles with five schools.
Pearl joins Cliff Ellis as the only Auburn coaches to win the AP Coach of the Year award and is the first SEC coach to earn the honor since 2015.