Rutgers men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell said Wednesday that he is being treated for cancer after undergoing successful surgery this summer, and that he expects to spend the next six months going through chemotherapy.
In a letter to fans, Pikiell said the diagnosis came after he had not been feeling 100 percent and met with doctors at RWJBarnabas Health a couple of months ago. He said the cancer was removed in surgery, but he did not disclose the type.
Athletic director Keli Zinn said there is “no set timeline” for Pikiell’s full return. Rutgers also said assistant coach Brandin Knight will lead the team while Pikiell is unable to be on the sideline, though Pikiell said he plans to remain involved with the program as much as he can during treatment.
Pikiell is heading into his 11th season at Rutgers, and his run has already changed the program’s trajectory. When he arrived, the Scarlet Knights were near the bottom of the Big Ten.
Since then, he has guided them to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2021, their first in 30 years, along with the program’s first victory since 1983. Rutgers then finished fourth in the Big Ten the following season.
The Scarlet Knights are still trying to steady themselves in a college basketball landscape shaped heavily by the transfer portal. Rutgers went 14-20 last season and 6-14 in Big Ten play.
The 2026-27 season will start with full practices later this month, and Rutgers opens on Nov. 6 against New Haven.
In his letter, Pikiell thanked the Rutgers community for the support he and his family have felt since arriving “On the Banks” a decade ago. He wrote that the university’s players, coaches, staff, faculty and fans had made Rutgers feel like home.
He said he received the news after undergoing a series of tests and credited doctors at RWJBarnabas Health and Memorial Sloan Kettering for helping guide him through the process. Pikiell wrote that he and his doctors have a “kick-ass game plan” to finish treatment.
“I will still be involved with the team to the best of my ability as I navigate the challenges of the season through treatment,” he wrote. “I have great confidence in Coach Knight, the rest of the talented staff, and our exceptional student-athletes. I know they will do an amazing job leading our program when I’m not able to.”
Pikiell said he intends to face the illness with the same approach he asks of his players.
“Just as I ask my team to fight and embrace challenges head-on, I’m going to attack cancer the same way. With the support of my doctors, my family, and now Rutgers Nation, I am confident we will be victorious.”
He also thanked Zinn and President Tate for their support, adding that he looks forward to getting back on the sideline.
On behalf of Rutgers Athletics, Zinn said the department is behind Pikiell and his family and praised the way he approaches everything he does. She also thanked Knight for stepping in and said the staff has shown “great care and compassion” for Pikiell and the players.
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