St. John's coach Rick Pitino has ruled out a potential return to the New York Knicks, following the departure of Tom Thibodeau.

The Knicks parted ways with Thibodeau on Tuesday, despite the 67-year-old leading them to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in a quarter of a century.

Their run in the playoffs ended with a 4-2 series loss to the Indian Pacers, having failed to overcome an early deficit that saw them lose the first two games.

Pitino served as New York's head coach between 1987 and 1989, guiding the franchise to two playoff appearances while compiling a 90-74 record.

The Hall of Famer won national and Big East Coach of the Year honours during his second season with St. John's, but has no interest in returning to his former employers in the NBA.

Thank you, Coach Thibodeau. pic.twitter.com/bInhvWtxPI

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) June 3, 2025

"Absolutely not," Pitino said when asked about the possibility. "I think whoever comes in, if he doesn't get to the Finals, it's going to be deemed an unsuccessful season.

"So, whoever comes in has got so much pressure on them to take this team to the next level."

Thibodeau was hired by New York in 2020 and led the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons at the helm. He left with a 226-174 record as coach of the Knicks, with his win total ranking fourth most in franchise history.

The Knicks have not reached the NBA Finals since 1999, while their last championship win was in 1973.