Rutgers men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell revealed Wednesday that he is being treated for cancer after undergoing a successful surgery this summer, a development that leaves the program preparing for the season with assistant Brandin Knight stepping into the lead role.
In a letter to fans, Pikiell said he had surgery to remove the cancer and will go through chemotherapy over the next six months. The specific type of cancer was not disclosed. He added that he expects to remain involved with the team as he can while managing treatment.
Athletic director Keli Zinn said there is “no set timeline” for Pikiell’s full return.
Pikiell, who is entering his 11th season at Rutgers, said the program is in good hands with Knight and the staff. Knight will serve as the team’s leader in Pikiell’s absence.
The news arrives as Rutgers heads into another season of adjustment in a college basketball landscape shaped heavily by the transfer portal. The Scarlet Knights went 14-20 last season and finished 6-14 in Big Ten play.
Pikiell’s run in Piscataway has included a major breakthrough for a program that was searching for answers when he arrived. Rutgers reached the NCAA Tournament in 2021 for the first time in 30 years and picked up its first victory since 1983. The following season, the Scarlet Knights finished fourth in the Big Ten.
Rutgers will begin full practices later this month, with the season opener set for Nov. 6 against New Haven.
In his letter, Pikiell thanked the Rutgers community for welcoming his family and wrote that the program has felt like home since they arrived “On the Banks” a decade ago. He said that after not feeling 100 percent a couple of months ago, he went to doctors at RWJBarnabas Health, where tests led to the diagnosis. Pikiell also thanked the doctors at RWJBarnabas Health and Memorial Sloan Kettering for helping guide him through what he called a difficult time.
After the surgery, Pikiell said he and his doctors have a “kick-ass game plan” to finish treatment. He wrote that he intends to keep fighting through the season and said he has confidence in Knight, the rest of the staff and the student-athletes to keep the program moving forward.
“Just as I ask my team to fight and embrace challenges head-on, I’m going to attack cancer the same way,” Pikiell wrote. “With the support of my doctors, my family, and now Rutgers Nation, I am confident we will be victorious.”
Zinn also expressed support for Pikiell and his family, saying the athletics department is grateful for Knight’s willingness to step in and for the staff’s care for the team during this time. She asked for encouragement for the Pikiell family and said everyone is looking forward to the day he returns to the sideline.
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