All due respect to Lou Carnesecca and Frank McGuire and Joe Lapchick, he is the most accomplished coach to ever agree to work the Johnnies’ sidelines.

Whatever other off-court issues Pitino carried, the Christian Brothers in New Rochelle offered absolution and were rewarded with two NCAA Tournaments and 52 wins the last two seasons.

And you are fooling yourself if you believe he will not have St. John’s sniffing the NCAA by this time next year, and probably making a deep run or three within the six-year confines of the contract he signed Monday.

Now that journey takes him to Queens, and surely to an expanse of games at Madison Square Garden where he had a quick and successful run with the Knicks 35 years ago.

St. John’s agreed to hire Pitino at top dollar on the same day it was announced that Mike Anderson was going to be forced to sue to get money owed him after his dismissal earlier this month.

This continues a shameful nickel-and-dime small-time pattern St. John’s has exhibited recently with ex-assistants Barry Rohrssen and Steve DeMeo, to name two, and it certainly runs counter to what Pitino is going to expect, and command.