Coach Carnesecca

[quote="Beast of the East" post=385522][quote="MarkRedman" post=385477][quote="bamafan" post=385470][quote="MarkRedman" post=385469]Another thing I appreciated about the Carnesecca era was that students were able to watch team practices from the upper stands. I would doubt that it is a possibility today. As a former high school basketball coach, the lessons I learned from watching the coaching staff work with the team was invaluable.[/quote]
I spent more time watching practice than attending classes (started at 3pm) LOL Sometimes it was more fun than the games.[/quote]

Me, too. I spent a lot of time in that gym. It was also more fun than going to class
Actually, for me, it turned into a class as a future coach
Probably one of the most useful classes I took at St John's[/quote]

A certain killer of a player used to tell people that Looie would have Mahoney run practices, but would never touch the ball himself to demonstrate anything because he knew he wasn't much of a player.

Same guy would say that Looie would make a fair team good, and a great team good also.[/quote]


Interesting Sal, when Louie allowed my high school basketball team to practice in Flushing Armory after a St,John's practice I saw Louie doing all the coaching while Joe Lapchick sat and watched.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=385521][quote="Section9" post=385502][quote="Beast of the East" post=385467][quote="redmaninalbany" post=385410]One more story...I went to SJU as undergrad "65 to '69.
Most days, I would cross over to the Redman's Nook..a small little luncheonette, just a 1/2 block east of Utopia and Union.. Periodically, Lou would come in, sit at the counter, greet the owner, Joan, and then nod to each student.
Since SJU basketball was usually a major theme of chatter anyway, Lou would pick up on a conversation and actually ask us students questions about the opinions he heard. It actually seemed like instead of explaining why he played x instead of y player or defense, he would give us respect as though he might be the one learning from our insights.
Eventually, most of us at least realized what was happening and sheepishly would defer to him. It happened more than once and I will never forget how generous he was with his time and his knowledge.[/quote]

I sat about 7 rows behind the St. John's bench, which was diagonally across from its current location. These were booster club seats. The guys in the front two rows would often kibbitz Looie; "Looie press!! Coach, go zone!! Put in _________". Very often he'd turn around to them, dismiss them with a wave of his hand and say "You guys don't know what you are talking about, which would break all of us up."

A legend's persona takes on a life of its own. Looie is exactly that, a living legend.[/quote]

Reminds me of the pre season dinners at the Fox for the Chieftain Club. Looie and the coaches would sit up front and after the meal he would give a short talk about the team,players and the upcoming season and then open the floor for questions. Inevitably, every year some guys would ask him if he was going to play some zone, press or uptempo the game. Most of us knew the answer but he'd always say that it might be something he'd consider. He was a great speaker and always had a few good one-liners dropped into his talk.

I also used to sit mid court at AH four rows up, so I had a close-up view of Looie's antics as he would prowl the sidelines. It was amazing some of the moves he would pull off as ran up and down. I remember one exchange he had with Boo during the Loyola Marymount game. LM was probably the highest scoring team in the country and loved to get up and down the floor. Boo and Porter we're made or that kind of game, and at one point Looie couldn't take it anymore and rasped to Boo to slow it down. Boo looked right at coach and told him that he was slowing it down. Lou just spun around and muttered something to Mahoney who just shrugged his shoulders in response. It was hysterical. We beat them 88-85, which was about 15 points more than Lou would've liked, but about 20 below their average.[/quote]

Great story! Those must have been Paul Westheads teams, no?[/quote]

Yup
 
[quote="Section9" post=385537][quote="Beast of the East" post=385521][quote="Section9" post=385502][quote="Beast of the East" post=385467][quote="redmaninalbany" post=385410]One more story...I went to SJU as undergrad "65 to '69.
Most days, I would cross over to the Redman's Nook..a small little luncheonette, just a 1/2 block east of Utopia and Union.. Periodically, Lou would come in, sit at the counter, greet the owner, Joan, and then nod to each student.
Since SJU basketball was usually a major theme of chatter anyway, Lou would pick up on a conversation and actually ask us students questions about the opinions he heard. It actually seemed like instead of explaining why he played x instead of y player or defense, he would give us respect as though he might be the one learning from our insights.
Eventually, most of us at least realized what was happening and sheepishly would defer to him. It happened more than once and I will never forget how generous he was with his time and his knowledge.[/quote]

I sat about 7 rows behind the St. John's bench, which was diagonally across from its current location. These were booster club seats. The guys in the front two rows would often kibbitz Looie; "Looie press!! Coach, go zone!! Put in _________". Very often he'd turn around to them, dismiss them with a wave of his hand and say "You guys don't know what you are talking about, which would break all of us up."

A legend's persona takes on a life of its own. Looie is exactly that, a living legend.[/quote]

Reminds me of the pre season dinners at the Fox for the Chieftain Club. Looie and the coaches would sit up front and after the meal he would give a short talk about the team,players and the upcoming season and then open the floor for questions. Inevitably, every year some guys would ask him if he was going to play some zone, press or uptempo the game. Most of us knew the answer but he'd always say that it might be something he'd consider. He was a great speaker and always had a few good one-liners dropped into his talk.

I also used to sit mid court at AH four rows up, so I had a close-up view of Looie's antics as he would prowl the sidelines. It was amazing some of the moves he would pull off as ran up and down. I remember one exchange he had with Boo during the Loyola Marymount game. LM was probably the highest scoring team in the country and loved to get up and down the floor. Boo and Porter we're made or that kind of game, and at one point Looie couldn't take it anymore and rasped to Boo to slow it down. Boo looked right at coach and told him that he was slowing it down. Lou just spun around and muttered something to Mahoney who just shrugged his shoulders in response. It was hysterical. We beat them 88-85, which was about 15 points more than Lou would've liked, but about 20 below their average.[/quote]

Great story! Those must have been Paul Westheads teams, no?[/quote]

Yup[/quote]

Enjoy:
=5183s
 
[quote="newsman13" post=385472]My wife called St John's to ask where she could get a replica of "the sweater". The school put her through to Looie who not only answered the phone...but sent her a replica tee shirt. I still treasure it.[/quote]

We talk crap about St. John's as a mom-and-pop organization, but then we get to hear cool stories like this . .
 
John Feinstein wrote about that game is his book "A Season Inside" - it was the book he wrote following "A Season on the Brink". He mentioned the "Boo, slow down!" from Looie. The book is a good read.
 
Here are my favorite Coach C. stories.

As a student and also as an employee of the university I often went to daily mass at noon, and as a student started dragging friends with me, until at one point we had about a dozen guys coming to daily mass.

One year, as a young staffer, I noticed Looie standing on the left side of the chapel, often a few minutes late for mass, but always there, every single day, as was just reported by another person here. Where my story gets a little humorous is that when the season ended in March, I noticed Coach wasn't there one day. Or the next. Or the next. I concluded that Looie, faithful as he was, wasn't taking any chances with being in God's good graces during the season, but as soon as the season ended was back to being a Sunday communicant.

Another Looie story was when I attended a pregame dinner celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Final Four team. All the players were there, and of course Looie. It was great. I brought my oldest daughter with me, who became a Johnnies fan at age 6 or so, coming with me to many games, and even having a St. John's red winter parka. By 7th grade when she began taking basketball seriously, she proclaimed she was going to play for SJU one day and resurrect the women's team fortunes. It didn't happen but she did play HS varsity and had a smattering of interest from colleges. Even though she attended another Big East school, she still rooted for the redmen when they played us. Loyal kid.

In any even at this dinner, I asked her if she would like to meet Coach C. She lit up and said sure! We approached Coach and I said hi, and introduced by daughter. I then told coach that the two of them shared something very special, the same birthday. Looie lit up with a broad smile and repeated her name "...… What a beautiful name! " I then stepped back as the 85 year old HOF coach treated 24 year old kid like she was the celebrity and he was the fan, peppering her with questions about her career, her education, as warm and smooth and as elegant as the prince he is." They parted as new friends.

Maybe that's really the point. That Looie is a prince, royalty born of commoner's ancestry, and his kingdom a patch of land on a former golf course on Union and Utopia. He's touched thousands of people with the same warmth, the same smile, the same familiarity, born in the same boros (Manhattan like my dad, who was born a few years before Lou.) Unlike many, Lou has never ever forgotten for a moment where he came from, that he is really one of us. Like a great prince, he is most comfortable among his people, always making you feel special in his presence. What a joy and a gift he is.
 
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Love knowing he's still sharp.

As for Mullin, that comment on happiness seems to capture it all. Even outside the family health issue or distance from family, it just never seemed like he enjoyed the job part, beyond the game he loved.

Would hope that one day Mullin would sit down for an in depth interview to talk about the four years.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=385936][quote="bobo" post=385933]Lou Carnesecca’s take on Mike Anderson, Chris Mullin’s St. John’s exit


https://nypost.com/2020/04/24/st-johns-lou-carnesecca-on-mike-anderson-chris-mullins-exit/[/quote]

This is dead on, on all accounts. Sharp mind. I thought he would cover for Mullin but was fair. Also very accurate assessment of CMA, who among many things, can handle new york.[/quote]
Shows how sharp he still is. At an age where’s most folks have long lost their filter, he handled the question very adeptly,
 
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Quick Looie story from many years ago, my wife and daughter were sitting in a waiting room at ENT. My wife notices Looie in the room, so she brings my daughter over to introduce them, says my husbands family are long time season ticket holders and mentions my Uncle played baseball at SJU. Looie asks for a name, my wife tells him, he knew exactly who my Uncle was and asked how he was. Also, my daughter was coming from school, had her uniform on and Looie asked "what parish", daughter told him St.Annes. Bill O'Sullivan was the principal at that time so Loie of course asked how he was doing. Just a great guy Looie.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=385936][quote="bobo" post=385933]Lou Carnesecca’s take on Mike Anderson, Chris Mullin’s St. John’s exit


https://nypost.com/2020/04/24/st-johns-lou-carnesecca-on-mike-anderson-chris-mullins-exit/[/quote]

This is dead on, on all accounts. Sharp mind. I thought he would cover for Mullin but was fair. Also very accurate assessment of CMA, who among many things, can handle new york.[/quote]

I also expected Looie to be more praiseworthy of Mullin. Even at 95 he says what he believes.
 
[quote="JackofVirginia" post=386014][quote="Beast of the East" post=385936][quote="bobo" post=385933]Lou Carnesecca’s take on Mike Anderson, Chris Mullin’s St. John’s exit


https://nypost.com/2020/04/24/st-johns-lou-carnesecca-on-mike-anderson-chris-mullins-exit/[/quote]

This is dead on, on all accounts. Sharp mind. I thought he would cover for Mullin but was fair. Also very accurate assessment of CMA, who among many things, can handle new york.[/quote]

I also expected Looie to be more praiseworthy of Mullin. Even at 95 he says what he believes.[/quote]

Like some of my dear relatives that age, even moreso in terms of being very direct and not sugar coating stuff. I love it personally.
 
[quote="RM86" post=385985]Quick Looie story from many years ago, my wife and daughter were sitting in a waiting room at ENT. My wife notices Looie in the room, so she brings my daughter over to introduce them, says my husbands family are long time season ticket holders and mentions my Uncle played baseball at SJU. Looie asks for a name, my wife tells him, he knew exactly who my Uncle was and asked how he was. Also, my daughter was coming from school, had her uniform on and Looie asked "what parish", daughter told him St.Annes. Bill O'Sullivan was the principal at that time so Loie of course asked how he was doing. Just a great guy Looie.[/quote]

O'Sullivan was a great principal at St. Anne's GC. He had retired from the public school system, and was asked if he could fill in for a little at St. Anne's until they found a principal. He agreed to help out, and the principal they found turned out to be him. Not sure how long he stayed. We had considered sending my son there for 7th grade, and my wife went up to the school to see if my son could be enrolled. When they met. they knew a lot of the same people and both held some of them in very high regard, and both were SJU grads. Unfortunately, there was no room in the 7th grade class for that fall. Disappointed, my wife came home. O'Sullivan called shortly after and said, "Don't worry, I'll find a spot for him if he wants to come here." Great guy. I never knew he was a former player until I saw him at Coach's 90th birthday celebration.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=386039][quote="RM86" post=385985]Quick Looie story from many years ago, my wife and daughter were sitting in a waiting room at ENT. My wife notices Looie in the room, so she brings my daughter over to introduce them, says my husbands family are long time season ticket holders and mentions my Uncle played baseball at SJU. Looie asks for a name, my wife tells him, he knew exactly who my Uncle was and asked how he was. Also, my daughter was coming from school, had her uniform on and Looie asked "what parish", daughter told him St.Annes. Bill O'Sullivan was the principal at that time so Loie of course asked how he was doing. Just a great guy Looie.[/quote]

O'Sullivan was a great principal at St. Anne's GC. He had retired from the public school system, and was asked if he could fill in for a little at St. Anne's until they found a principal. He agreed to help out, and the principal they found turned out to be him. Not sure how long he stayed. We had considered sending my son there for 7th grade, and my wife went up to the school to see if my son could be enrolled. When they met. they knew a lot of the same people and both held some of them in very high regard, and both were SJU grads. Unfortunately, there was no room in the 7th grade class for that fall. Disappointed, my wife came home. O'Sullivan called shortly after and said, "Don't worry, I'll find a spot for him if he wants to come here." Great guy. I never knew he was a former player until I saw him at Coach's 90th birthday celebration.[/quote]

My wife was part of the committee that hired him at St.Annes. He helped out my family quite a bit.
 
[quote="RM86" post=386040][quote="Beast of the East" post=386039][quote="RM86" post=385985]Quick Looie story from many years ago, my wife and daughter were sitting in a waiting room at ENT. My wife notices Looie in the room, so she brings my daughter over to introduce them, says my husbands family are long time season ticket holders and mentions my Uncle played baseball at SJU. Looie asks for a name, my wife tells him, he knew exactly who my Uncle was and asked how he was. Also, my daughter was coming from school, had her uniform on and Looie asked "what parish", daughter told him St.Annes. Bill O'Sullivan was the principal at that time so Loie of course asked how he was doing. Just a great guy Looie.[/quote]

O'Sullivan was a great principal at St. Anne's GC. He had retired from the public school system, and was asked if he could fill in for a little at St. Anne's until they found a principal. He agreed to help out, and the principal they found turned out to be him. Not sure how long he stayed. We had considered sending my son there for 7th grade, and my wife went up to the school to see if my son could be enrolled. When they met. they knew a lot of the same people and both held some of them in very high regard, and both were SJU grads. Unfortunately, there was no room in the 7th grade class for that fall. Disappointed, my wife came home. O'Sullivan called shortly after and said, "Don't worry, I'll find a spot for him if he wants to come here." Great guy. I never knew he was a former player until I saw him at Coach's 90th birthday celebration.[/quote]

My wife was part of the committee that hired him at St.Annes. He helped out my family quite a bit.[/quote]

He left about four years ago. My kids are long gone, but apparently the place isn't the same without him.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=386039][quote="RM86" post=385985]Quick Looie story from many years ago, my wife and daughter were sitting in a waiting room at ENT. My wife notices Looie in the room, so she brings my daughter over to introduce them, says my husbands family are long time season ticket holders and mentions my Uncle played baseball at SJU. Looie asks for a name, my wife tells him, he knew exactly who my Uncle was and asked how he was. Also, my daughter was coming from school, had her uniform on and Looie asked "what parish", daughter told him St.Annes. Bill O'Sullivan was the principal at that time so Loie of course asked how he was doing. Just a great guy Looie.[/quote]



The trick of getting your kid into a good catholic elementary school is to volunteer for bingo. Learned that when I tried to get my sons into St. Isidores in Riverhead. Lo and behold, I was shortly put in charge of bingo there. Had to arrive about two hours early to boil the hot dogs and turn the lights on in the parking lot. How lucky can you get.
To give you a few examples of bingo players: when I was calling the numbers my own mother yelled out, "Change the caller." And one night before being escorted to the bank by the Suffolk Count Police, one worker informed me that a man had cut off his finger in the bathroom and would be taken to Suffolk Hospital. At the end of bingo, about an hour later, his wife approached me to find out where they took her husband. She actually finished playing bingo. That should tell you enough about bingo players.

O'Sullivan was a great principal at St. Anne's GC. He had retired from the public school system, and was asked if he could fill in for a little at St. Anne's until they found a principal. He agreed to help out, and the principal they found turned out to be him. Not sure how long he stayed. We had considered sending my son there for 7th grade, and my wife went up to the school to see if my son could be enrolled. When they met. they knew a lot of the same people and both held some of them in very high regard, and both were SJU grads. Unfortunately, there was no room in the 7th grade class for that fall. Disappointed, my wife came home. O'Sullivan called shortly after and said, "Don't worry, I'll find a spot for him if he wants to come here." Great guy. I never knew he was a former player until I saw him at Coach's 90th birthday celebration.[/quote]
 
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I saw that Looie said he's not sure if Mullin enjoyed being a coach and may not have realized all that goes into it. I respect him saying something like that which was obviously true via the eye-test and sense of everything while he was here. Interviews are so pointless when all you get are PC answers that anyone could have given. I love the authenticity.
 
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