For the first time in over two decades, Xavier basketball fans are somewhat in the dark as to what their next coach brings to the table.

Sure, there are cameras everywhere nowadays and press conferences can be streamed globally. But the hiring of Richard Pitino Tuesday night was a page foreign to Xavier's recent playbook.

Xavier had not hired a head coach without ties to the program since Thad Matta in 2001. The fanbase was bracing for another stint with Chris Mack, the second version of "meet the new boss, same as the old boss," in the last three years.

Mack would've been the comfortable hire as someone who sustained success at Cintas Center for nearly a decade. Instead, Xavier's brass made a splash.

"There's way too much of a run-it-back mentality in Cincinnati sports," Enquirer columnist Jason Williams wrote Wednesday.

Xavier got out of its comfort zone in hiring Pitino, leading to a new era that is exciting and unknown at the same time.

Geoff Grammer of the Albuquerque Journal covered Pitino's four-year run at New Mexico. He talked to The Enquirer about what to expect from Pitino, an offensive-minded coach who is still viewed as an up-and-comer but has 12 years of head-coaching experience under his belt since his last power-conference leap.

Pitino led full rebuild at New Mexico

When Pitino took the New Mexico job in March 2021, less than 24 hours after being fired at Minnesota, the Lobos were coming off their worst season since 1962.

Burdened by COVID regulations, the final year of the Paul Weir era was as bumpy as you could imagine. New Mexico went just 6-16, with only four wins against Division I opponents.

"They didn't play a single game in the state. They lived in hotels in Texas. It was a weird situation. The talent on the team was awful," Grammer said. "He (Pitino) took over a bad team."

In his first year, Pitino led a seven-win turnaround (13-19). By the 2022-23 season, New Mexico was back in postseason play (NIT) before back-to-back runs to the NCAA Tournament.

"The rebuild he had here was from a hole-in-the-ground level. They progressed every year," Grammer said.

Recruiting not a lost art for Pitino

In today's college basketball landscape, recruiting has taken a back seat to the transfer portal, where programs can build an experienced, competitive roster in a matter of weeks rather than years.

New Mexico's turnaround from the Mountain West basement to contender didn't happen overnight. This season, New Mexico's starting backcourt, Donovan Dent and Tru Washington, were recruited and developed in-house. Washington averaged 11.1 points per game and Dent was the Mountain West Player of the Year.

Pitino and company also recruited J.T. Toppin out of Dallas when none of the bigger Texas schools came calling. Toppin was the Freshman of the Year at New Mexico in 2024 before transferring to Texas Tech.

"He still had two or three high school kids a year and did the rest through the portal. He didn't abandon high school recruiting and was pretty good at it. He had Isaac Chew, one of his top assistants, who was one of the big recruiters there," Grammer said. "The mix of the portal and high school recruits was pretty impressive."

Pitino's teams have the need for speed

New Mexico was one of the nine teams in the country to average more fast-break points than Xavier this season. The Lobos ranked No. 4 (15.8 per game) and were No. 7 in adjusted tempo, per KenPom.

"All of that comes with personnel with guys who can get out in transition. If you can score in the first eight seconds, go ahead and put up a shot. He doesn't care if you miss shots, as long as they are good shots you take," Grammer said.

While an offense that averaged 80.5 points per game (32nd in the country) will garner a lot of headlines, Pitino's defenses set the table for his team's up-tempo style.

New Mexico was top 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency and top 45 in steal percentage in each of the last two seasons.

"They do have a lot of on-ball pressure. A lot of steals and a lot of points off turnovers," Grammer said. "The reason they were really good this past year was defense."

Pitino's transparency stood out at New Mexico

Pitino never shied away from reports of being thrown into several coaching carousels over the last two seasons. That was welcomed by a Lobos fanbase that still felt the sting of Steve Alford, who agreed to a 10-year deal with New Mexico in 2013 only to take the UCLA job 10 days later.

"He was kind of weirdly open about how he wasn't necessarily out looking for other job, but his name became attached to every opening this cycle," Grammer said. "He was never shy about admitting that he talked to whoever called him.

"Fans will enjoy him because he's pretty open and transparent with stuff. He's sarcastic as hell. He makes jokes. He makes fun of his dad all the time."