Steve Pikiell

Biography

A father of four, Steve Pikiell has led the resurgence of Rutgers men’s basketball both on and off the court. Entering his 10th season as head coach of the Scarlet Knights in 2025-26, Pikiell guided Rutgers back to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, its first appearance since 1991. The team returned in 2022, marking the first consecutive NCAA appearances since 1976. In 2022, Pikiell surpassed Tom Young for the most ranked wins in school history (17). Pikiell’s 147 wins at Rutgers are third all-time in school history. Pikiell has coached some of the greatest players in Rutgers history, including the school’s 11th All-American in Ron Harper Jr., National Defensive Player of the Year and all-time steals leader Caleb McConnell, and Big Ten Medal of Honor winner Geo Baker. In 2024-25, Pikiell led the recruitment of the highest-ranked players in school history, Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, who became the highest NBA draft picks in program history in 2025. Pikiell welcomes the fourth-best recruiting class in the Big Ten Conference and the 30th in the nation in 2025-26. With 35 years of coaching experience, the Bristol, Connecticut, native is under contract to remain at Rutgers through the 2030-31 season. As the 19th head coach in school history, Pikiell has been instrumental in program turnarounds throughout his career, achieving conference championships and NCAA Tournament berths. He celebrated his 100th career victory at Rutgers and his 300th career victory overall during the 2022-23 se