St. John's Booster Repole Jokes He'll Coach If Team Misses Final Four

Mike Repole, United Football League co-owner and St. John's top NIL booster, joked in a Front Office Sports interview that he might take over coaching duties if the Red Storm fall short of the Final Four this season.

"I told Rick, with the team we got this year, I might coach the team the year after if we can't get this team to the Final Four," Repole told FOS editor-in-chief Dan Roberts. "I could save money on his salary, maybe get another player."

There is no confirmation Repole will actually coach; he made the remark in jest.

The joke lands with weight because of the relationship behind it. Repole and head coach Rick Pitino have known each other for more than 20 years through the horse ownership community. Pitino's hiring in 2023 brought Repole back into the fold at St. John's after he publicly fell out with the school four years earlier.

Repole's investment in the program is substantial, and his expectations come with it. His threat — playful as it is — underscores how much he has riding on this season's outcome.

REPOLE'S STAKES IN ST. JOHN'S

In 2024, Repole committed a seven-figure sum to NIL deals for St. John's athletes. That was only the start.

This March, the university announced Repole's participation in a matching program: he would give $100,000 for every 100 donors to the Red Storm Legacy Investment Fund. The fund is an initiative set up to boost the revenue-sharing capabilities of St. John's.

Asked whether he was increasing his financial commitment, Repole did not specify. "It's a lot," he said. "You know why? Because it changes every day."

Whether Repole is expanding his investment has not been confirmed. The numbers he has shared are exact only up to the matching structure — the total he has poured into the program beyond that remains his own business.