If Ed Cooley jumping from Providence to Georgetown wasn't enough, the Big East had a second landscape-shifting hire on Monday, with St. John's officially agreeing to a deal with Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino.
Pitino was the top target for the Red Storm from the outset, emerging as the favorite even before they fired Mike Anderson, and no other serious candidates ever emerged. Almost as soon as Pitino's Iona team lost to the UConn Huskies in the first round of the NCAA tournament, discussions progressed.