Rick Pitino has tasted success at every level in college. While his career has been shrouded in controversy, there’s no doubt that the St. John’s coach is one of the greatest of all time. After two NCAA championships and pioneering an offensive system that changed the game, he deserves to have his name written in the pages of history. Off the court, however, the Hall-of-Fame coach has been through his share of adversities, even a little harsher at times.
Rick Pitino has been struck with tragedies more than once, incurring personal losses. The earliest of them came in the eighties, and for the couple, ten years into marriage. But the Pitinos knew not to succumb to grief. They’d channel it towards something better— a foundation. As the initiation fares well today, here’s what the family lived through.
What happened to Daniel Pitino?
When Joanne Pitino found out in 1986 that she was pregnant with her fourth son, the entire family was overjoyed. For all of his faults, Rick Pitino was a family man through and through. What the couple didn’t expect, however, was for the boy to be born 3 months early. Daniel Pitino was born on 4th September 1986 with a litany of health issues. He had kidney trouble, issues with his weight, and hearing loss. The young baby spent most of his life in hospitals, getting some treatment or the other.
At the time, Rick Pitino was coaching the Providence Friars. He worked in Rhode Island while his wife and kids were in Boston. That meant he found little time to visit them. Still, he remained hopeful that things would get better, and for a small period of time? They did. Ahead of the Big East tournament, Daniel Pitino went through a successful kidney surgery, allowing his parents the tiniest bit of relaxation. They found a nanny to watch the baby while Joanne and Rick headed to New York for the postseason play in Madison Square Garden.
That is when tragedy befell the Pitino family. 8th March, 1987. The Sunday before the NCAA tournament is when Daniel Pitino suffered a cardiac arrest. Joanne Pitino, Rick Pitino, and his team were coming back from a conference semi-final loss when their team bus was stopped by state-troopers. The couple got off the bus and rode back with the law enforcement officials. Losing your son is a grief no family should have to bear, let alone at such a tender age.
ALBANY, NEW YORK – MARCH 17: Head coach Rick Pitino of the Iona Gaels looks on in the first half against the Connecticut Huskies during the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at MVP Arena on March 17, 2023 in Albany, New York. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
They cried, they grieved, and eventually, they recovered. Rick Pitino threw himself back into coaching with a new outlook on life, and a new objective. In 1996, however, the couple founded a non-profit organization in the name of their late son. The work Rick and Joanne have done in memory of Daniel has truly been heart-warming.
The Daniel Pitino Foundation
After its inception in 1996, the Daniel Pitino Foundation has put a lot of good into the world. The non-profit organization is based in Lexington, Kentucky, and it focuses on supporting vulnerable children, families and individuals in crisis. They have a focus on children’s healthcare in the loving memory of Daniel, as well as homeless prevention and support.
One of the foundation’s biggest programs is a homeless shelter in Owensboro. The Daniel Pitino Homeless Shelter houses and or helps over 300 residents, and aims to end the cycle of homelessness. Both donations and volunteering play a huge role in the upkeep of the shelter, as its kitchen remains open for the community 365 days a year! Something that’s really heartwarming. And so is the poem that Joanne Pitino dedicated to her late son on the shelter’s website.
‘Daniel’, the six-stanza poem, ends with the beautiful message, “So when a little child departs, we who are left behind must realize God loves children, angels are hard to find.” The poem is a reminder of why Rick and Joanne started fighting the good fight, and how much they love their family.
The foundation also focuses on cardiac care for children in particular. The Daniel Pitino Foundation awarded a $57,000 grant to the University of Louisville during Rick Pitino’s tenure as head coach. The department spent that money on a new van, which allowed them to treat over 50 kids a day. UofL’s pediatric cardiology team was on the road for 4 days a week, and they end up covering over 5000 kids a year.
That was the entire spirit behind Pitino’s foundation, after all.
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