Rick Pitino has been calling for a the Big East to become a mega-conference for some time. And in his latest appearance Monday on The Pat McAfee Show, the Naismith Hall of Fame St. John’s coach reiterated that he’d like to see the Big East merge with the ACC.

The St. John's Red Storm are now in the second year of the Rick Pitino era. While many expected it to take a few years for the legendary head coach to turn the Johnnies into a national powerhouse, Pitino has already made St.

The Rick Pitino effect at St. John’s is REAL. And for the first time since 2000, the Johnnies are Big East Tournament Champions. Almost two years to the day since he held his introductory press conference at Madison Square Garden as the 22nd head coach in St.