Billionaire Vows Major Backing To Turn Rick Pitino’s St. John’s Into a ‘Dynasty’

St. John’s marked a brilliant turnaround this season, despite their brutal exit from the NCAA tournament. After 1999, this was the first time the Red Storm appeared in the Sweet Sixteen. Much of this success is due to the support of billionaire St. John’s alum Mike Repole, who has a lot of faith in the program’s potential. He continues to stand by the Red Storm despite being knocked out of the NCAA tournament.

Mike Repole, who has been a constant presence on the benches during St. John’s 2025-26 run, is ready to “run it back,” according to the New York Post. But he’s not planning to do this for the next few seasons; this support and zeal is for the long run, as he hopes to rebuild St. John’s basketball to the power it was in the 90s.

“I’m really excited not only for this year but also next year,” the entrepreneur said in a video shared by St. John’s athletics on X. “I’ve already committed my pledge to (athletics director) Ed Kull and the athletic department, and Rick Pitino and the team for next year. We don’t want this to be a one- or two-year thing. We want to build a dynasty here for the next 5-10 years.”

Repole has been upfront and ready to serve his team from the get-go. He’s already donated $5 million for funding, and his contributions have made all the difference for St. John’s. He was crucial in the program hiring head coach Rick Pitino in 2023, and St. John’s has been on a roll since.

Billionaire booster Mike Repole pledges to help build St. John’s ‘dynasty’ after painful March Madness exit https://t.co/sikCYg4fiE pic.twitter.com/tG9NowiQqf

— New York Post (@nypost) March 28, 2026

During the 2024-25 season, the Red Storm claimed their first Big East Championship after 25 years, with a roster that had the 4th-best transfer class. St. John’s and Pitino, like Repole said, ensured that they were not a one-hit wonder and defended the title this year too. Even though they went down against Duke, Repole felt proud of the way the team handled itself.

“Playing the #1 team in the country in Sweet 16 and we battled our a—s off!!!!!” he wrote in a tweet. “That’s heart. That’s toughness. That’s St. John’s… Johnny Nation is coming back BIGGER, STRONGER, and BETTER.”

Taking on an opponent like Duke is no joke. But the grit and show that the Red Storm put forward on the quote was one to remember. By halftime, it was looking St. John’s was the bad guy, having established a 40-39 lead over the Blue Devils. In the second half, they added 10 more points, but that’s when Duke began overpowering them. It brought an end to a passionate effort from star __ Zuby Ejiofor, who scored 17 points with eight rebounds and six assists. The reigning Big East Player of the Year, he was visibly emotional after the tough loss. At the end, the 80-75 score showed that St. John’s had given its all.

Head Coach Rick Pitino’s comments in the postgame presser further highlighted how much the game stung for his team.

Pitino Wants The NCAA To Rethink Post-Game Rituals

The Red Storm was no doubt commended for their fight against Duke; the upcoming few days (and weeks) will be tough for the team. This was their first back-to-back appearance in the tournament since 1988-1999, which undid quite a lot of hard work. When Pitino got to the microphone after the game, he simply requested an allowance to help process the sad end more quickly.

“One suggestion for the NCAA, when you have interviews on the court for Duke – for the winning team … is to have the losing team go first,” the head coach said. “Because you left us disappointed in the locker room while the other team is celebrating, rightfully so. You should let the losing team go first and let the winning team have as long as you want.”

Pitino, like Mike Repole, is a “win-aholic,” the latter told the New York Post. According to the billionaire, it is either the Final Four or nothing for the coach, who is a Hall of Fame inductee. Pitino was just one step away from making the exclusive club. It’s got to hurt him bad. But Pitino made sure to give his men their due flowers for proving skeptics wrong as they charged through the season.

“It’s not often you coach a group of young men who care so much for each other and gave me every ounce of perspiration they had in them. Loved every day I was with them,” Pitino shared online. “Thank you, men!!!”

Pitino will need Repole’s support, particularly for the next season, because stars like Ejiofor will be gone from the roster. He will have to enter the next season with a lot of new faces, and will need help to impress the better recruits. Maybe next year, Rick Pitino will be able to be the winning coach of this game.

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