New York police arrested a man on Friday after he allegedly broke into St. John’s coach Rick Pitino’s office and stole a sword and a megaphone.
Emanuel Yakubov was arrested Friday after he and another person allegedly broke into the offices of the St. John’s athletic department and stole several items, police said. Among those items reportedly were a ceremonial sword and a megaphone that belonged to Pitino.
Yakubov, 25, has been charged with burglary, petty theft, trespassing and possession of stolen property. The second suspect is still at large. It is unclear what led to the alleged incident or if anything else was stolen.
“St. John’s University is grateful for the NYPD’s quick response and recovery of the stolen property,” university spokesman Brian Browne said in a statement. “The safety of our campus community is critical and our cooperative relationship with law enforcement helps ensure that.”
Pitino is preparing for his second season with the Red Storm this fall. The longtime basketball coach landed after three years at Iona in Queens. This was his return to the sport after being fired from Louisville amid the FBI’s extensive investigation into corruption in college basketball. Pitino – who also coached the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics – won two titles as a college coach, first with Kentucky in 1996 and again with Louisville in 2013.
St. John’s went 20-13 under Pitino’s leadership last season and missed the NCAA tournament. The Red Storm finished fifth in the Big East standings.
