The latest chapter of a college basketball coaching career with more drama, scandal, and vacation (not the leisure kind) dust-ups than “A Real Housewives” franchise finds the 72-year-old Pitino as resurrector-in-chief of St. John’s.

This all really started for Rick Pitino, in all the most important ways, in Providence. Now it is where he and his St. John’s team play their first round game on Thursday in one more NCAA

Rick Pitino knows what it’s like to be on the losing end of an all-time opening-round upset. In 2011, Pitino was the head coach of the No. 4 Louisville team that suffered a 62-61 stunner to No. 13 Morehead State in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64.