Legendary St. John’s basketball coach and New York sports icon Lou Carnesecca has died at age 99. Carnesecca passed away on Saturday, just a few weeks shy of his 100th birthday. The university said it was notified by a family member that Carnesecca died in a hospital, surrounded by loved ones.
Carnesecca was beloved in New York and turned St. John’s basketball into a national phenomenon. He coached St. John’s for 24 seasons over two stints, making a postseason tournament each year. The university’s campus arena in Queens eventually was renamed in his honor, with a statue of the famed coach unveiled before the 2021-22 season.
Carnesecca coached St. John’s to 18 seasons of at least 20 wins, and 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, finishing with a 526-200 record and had 30-win seasons in 1985 and 1986. He was named coach of the year three times, and coached St. John’s to its fifth NIT title in 1989. He entered the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, the year he retired.
The school shared a video honoring the coach after the news of his death on Saturday night, saying that the said the Hall of Fame coach “endeared himself to generations of New Yorkers with his wit and warmth.”
Carnesecca is survived by his wife of 73 years, Mary. According to the university, memorial services will be announced at a later date.
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