Legendary College Basketball Coach Passes Away At 99

Legendary St. John’s basketball coach Lou Carnesecca, a member of the basketball Hall of Fame, passed away on Saturday at the age of 99, the school announced in a statement.

Carnessca is best known for his time with the Red Storm, where he coached for 24 seasons. As a founding member of the Big East, Carnesecca was at the helm of St. Johns throughout what is widely viewed as the time period that propelled college basketball to what it is today.

The legendary coach guided his team to five Big East titles, battling it out with fellow founding universities in Georgetown, Villanova, Syracuse, Seton Hall, Connecticut and Boston College. An alumnus at St. John’s, Carnesecca noticed 524 wins with the program and took his alma mater to the Final Four in 1985.

Carnesecca, who was oftentimes referred to as “Looie” by fans and commentators, had two separate stints at St. John’s. He first coached the team from 1965-1970, notching at least 18 wins in five straight seasons. He also led the Red Storm to the NIT championship game in 1970, after which he left the team to become the head coach of the New York Nets, then of the ABA.

He coached at the pro level for three seasons, compiling a record of 114-138 before returning to St. John’s in 1973. This time, he stayed until 1992, the same year he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. A year later, he was initiated into the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Carnesecca coached several notable NBA players throughout his lengthy career, including Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Walter Berry and Jayson Williams. In total, the hall of fame coach compiled eighteen 20-win seasons and posted back-to-back 30-win campaigns in the mid-1980s.

St. John’s reached post-season play in every season with Carnesecca at the helm. In addition to the 1985 Final Four run, the program went to the Elite Eight in 1979 and 1991. He never once finished a season with a losing record.

In 2004, the university renamed its New York City basketball arenat hen called Alumni Hall, to Carnesecca Arena.

Carnesseca was known for his eccentric personality and arena presence during the heyday of the Big East, which helped to propel Connecticut-based sports network ESPN to national prominence as well. He coached against fellow legends like John Thompson Jr., Jim Boeheim, P.J. Carlesimo, Rollie Massimino and Jim Calhoun.

“The BIG EAST Conference is deeply saddened by the passing of Lou Carnesecca, a quintessential New Yorker and one of the most successful coaches in our history,” league commissioner Val Ackerman said in a statement. “Coach Carnesecca’s impact extended far beyond the basketball court. He was tough, fiery and resilient, qualities he shared with the conference he helped launch, build and define. His successes propelled the BIG EAST in its early years to the top of the college sports world, and his belief in the power of basketball to define universities remains at the heart of our DNA. A tactical genius on the sidelines, Coach was equal parts teacher, mentor, master motivator, father figure, storyteller, ambassador, icon, champion and friend. He was truly beloved, and his mark on St. John’s, the BIG EAST and college basketball will be indelible.”

(FREE REPORT: Take Advantage Of Trump’s New “IRS Loophole” ASAP)