The idea of Rick Pitino coming back to coach the Knicks is so absurd and yet so juicy that it had about 24 hours of sea legs as talk-radio fodder after the firing of Tom Thibodeau.

Pitino himself threw cold water on it during an appearance on WFAN on Wednesday. The former Knicks and current St. John’s coach cited his age (73). It was something to laugh at, not something to seriously consider.

Pitino’s media tour didn’t stop on the radio dial. He was at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night to throw out the first pitch before the Yankees-Guardians game, a 4-0 loss for the home team, and did a 10-minute interview on the field during batting practice.

A huge Yankees and Mickey Mantle fan, Pitino sounded as if he’d be more likely to take Aaron Boone’s job if that was offered.

Even though Pitino’s Yankees memories come from the torn-down stadium across the street, his eyes still glistened as he talked about being asked to throw out the first pitch, which he did with a high arc to Oswald Peraza while wearing a pinstriped No. 7 jersey.

“I think it’s awesome,” Pitino said. “Everything about this place’s history . . . it just reminds me of younger days.”

It’s a strange reality, being a coach or manager in New York. Thibodeau got the Knicks to their first conference finals in 25 years and was sacked.

Knicks fans seem divided over whether that’s a good thing or not.

Boone, who was hired by the Yankees in late 2017, remains by far the longest-tenured coach or manager in New York sports.

Yankees fans seem divided over whether that’s a good thing or not.

Thibodeau, who was hired on July 30, 2020, had been second. That place now belongs to Sandy Brondello of the Liberty (Jan. 7, 2022), who won a WNBA title this past season.

Three weeks later, the Giants picked Brian Daboll to be their head coach. Daboll was the NFL coach of the year in his first season and has gone 9-25 since.

It’s a tough job, coaching or managing, maybe tougher in New York. But it can also be pretty magical.

Just ask Pitino. He was the toast of the town in March when he got St. John’s back to the NCAA Tournament.

That the second-seeded Red Storm were ousted in the second round by Arkansas hasn’t seemed to take any of the shine off of Pitino, who since the tournament has added players like an NBA general manager (without a salary cap to constrain him) to try to take St. John’s to even greater heights.

Since he was in the Bronx, Pitino was asked about the Aarons, Boone and Judge.

Of Judge, he said: “I'm not sure that Aaron Judge is not going to have the type of legacy that Ruth and Gehrig have had. He’s quite special, and I don't buy into anything about the postseason. He'll have great postseasons as well, and I hope it's this year.”

And of Boone, whose World Series appearance last season was his first as Yankees manager, Pitino said: “Obviously, I'm a gigantic Joe Torre fan. I've heard so many Joe Torre stories from (Jorge) Posada and Derek Jeter . . . I think Boonie has taken a lot of pages from Joe Torre’s book, so I think it's great. I think he's doing a fabulous job.”

Comparing Boone to Torre is, whether fair or not, like comparing Thibodeau to Red Holzman. Or NBA Rick Pitino to college Rick Pitino.

Pitino isn’t a Hall of Famer because of his stints with the Knicks and Celtics, even though he did have one glorious 52-win season at MSG in 1988-89 before bolting back to the college game.

Like Knicks fans with Thibodeau, Yankees fans are mixed on whether they think Boone is doing a fabulous job. Hal Steinbrenner has no such qualms, which is why in February he presented Boone with a contract extension through the 2027 season.

With a 37-22 record going into Wednesday, Boone is on track for his seventh postseason appearance in eight seasons.

Of course, Thibodeau took the Knicks to the playoffs in four of his five seasons and was still fired despite having a $30-million contract extension that kicks in next season. Nice non-work if you can get it.

Next to Boone  — who at age 52 could be in the dugout for another decade — Pitino might have the most job security of any New York manager or coach.

“They can get rid of me anytime they want,” Pitino said, laughing at another absurd notion.