Happy B’Day “Looie”

Here's just how available Coach has been: Just about everyone has a Looie story. I've had a bunch of interactions but so have a lot of people. Mine go back 40+ years but so do many of yours.

Then i think of my  kids each of whom grew up on Johnnies basketball. When my middle daughter was maybe 9 or 10, there was a class assignment to write to famous person. She chose Looie, which i was not aware of. She writes this letter, puts her home phone in, and yep, one afternoon Looie calls her. Then there was the time I'm at the garden with my 8 year old son and one of his school buddies. My dear friend Bobby F, who was the 1st alumni hall ballboy, and who Cosch has never forgotten, says to my son, "Do you want to meet coach?" He grabs Looie as the game ends and Looie is making a dash for the exit, yet he stops and poses for a picture that Bobby framed and still has in his man cave. Then I was at the dinner celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Final 4 before an msg game with Louisville. I introduce Coach to my oldest daughter and tell him they share the same birth dafe. At that Looje asks her name again, pronounces it in Italian and just wanted to know everything about her.

At 99, it's always in the back of our minds that the sun has to set sooner or later. Right now, as Sinatra sang, Looie remeains in the September of his years, still radiating the warm glow of a summer sun.


We are all blessed to be St. Johns. Every one of us.
 
BrookJersey Redmen said:
Raft has some great Looie stories and often fondly refers to his eminence as "Luigi".
Bruce Beck of WNBC sports had some terrific interviews with him, he really admires him.
My wife, mother-in-law and mother who are (were) not sports fans one iota all liked Looie, he transcended sports.
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When you talk to older fans of other programs, you can't find anyone who doesn't like him. And it's mostly programs he dominated.

I can't really find a superlative to properly accentuate how rare that is.
 
My personal story is nothing much but fits Looie. Ten years ago I had major ankle surgery and needed months of rehab. I would go in the middle of the day when it wasn't hopping as I had just retired for the first time, and it turned out I would see Looie most days as he was on the same schedule at the facility. I'm a New Yorker, and we don't like to make a fuss over famous people but I would give him a wave and a "Good Morning Looie" every time. About a month in my therapist told me he said it was nice that I knew who he was. That level of humility is something we all can strive for.
 
My best memory is my first interaction. It was '95. He was not coach at this point but still active. I was new to team manager role for baseball team. Coach Russo asked me to deliver a bunch of different manila envelopes & stuff to a few different people in Alumni Hall. Didn't fully know my way around and who was where. I'm walking and Lou walks by and sees i was needing help. He introduces himself, asks me my name and where I'm trying to get to and welcomes me to St. John's and points me in right direction. Never forgot that.
 
Thought I’d move this to this thread. I love these Looie stories. I’m going to go get a cup of coffee at “Lu, Lu’s” on Union Tpke. Maybe Looie will be there having pastries with Mahoney. I’ve seen it for myself.

Happy Birthday Coach. A true New York City LEGEND!


I went to SJU and worked there for over 25 years. And there is not a better human being on the planet than little Looie. I have a few stories about meeting and talking to coach C. My favorite moment came during the ‘86 Big East championship game at MSG. I was 15 at the time & my father took me to the game. Somehow he got us two seats in the fourth row behind the basket in the SJU student section. If u recall we had a rough first half against ‘Cuse and were down I believe 11 at the half.

My pop had this very old 8x10 black & white photo of Looie standing next to Joe Lapchick coaching on the sidelines. During halftime my dad hands me the picture and tells me to go ask Looie to sign it. So I got as close to the SJU bench as possible until security stopped me. At that point I yelled out coaches name to get his attention & held up the pic so he could see it. When he saw the pic, he smiled & than waved at the security guard to let me through. I handed him the pic and he asked me - “Where did u get this kid?” I told him my father had it hanging in his office for years. He then patted me on the head and signed the photo. I told him Good Luck in the second half. He than winked at me and said - “Don’t worry kid we have them right where we want them”.

I said thanks coach and turned around to leave when he told me to hold on a second. He went back to the bench and came back with two SJU t-shirts for me and my father. I was stunned. They don’t come much nicer than coach Carnesecca. If u are ever on campus I suggest u pop into the Asian center where he keeps an office. The walls are filled with pictures of him with his former players/coaches, NBA stars, celebrities, politicians & even a pic of him with the Pope. The man is literally a Saint!

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My second Looie story is pretty good. I think it was like 2003. SJU had a ceremony in that big conference room in Alumni Hall. Behind where the old coaches offices were. They gave Looie this huge & very heavy solid bronze statue. I mean this thing was bigger than than the Heisman trophy. I think it might have been from some club of coaches or writers. That’s all I remember.

So the function is over and I saw Looie getting ready to leave with his amazing wife . He was looking at the trophy and shaking his head. So I came over congratulated him on the award & asked him if I could carry it out to the car for him. He said something like “Thank God. This thing ways half a ton”lol. His wife Mary I believe was so gracious and thankful.

So I go to pick this thing up & realize right away I was in trouble. This thing whatever it weighed felt like a ton like Looie said. To this day I have no idea how I lugged this thing from the coaches offices to the back of the Asian center where her car was parked. The whole time I was chatting Looie up about the program. I told him Action Jackson was my favorite player ever & he started telling me how great of a person he was and how great a point guard he was at SJU.

He could see I was struggling with it & asked me if I needed help and laughed. He was feeling no pain put it that way. Then I laughed and said don’t worry coach. You are a living legend. No way am I dropping this statue. Somehow we make it to the car and I put it in the trunk with a large thud. Thankfully I didn’t bust it. Mary gave me a big hug and Looie thanked me and shook ny hand. I could feel there was something in his hand. It was a hundred dollar bill. I was working at the time and I refused to take it three or four times. Basically they refused to leave unless I took it. The man is an unbelievably gracious/genuine person. At that point I didn’t want to insult him so I took the money & this is literally the first time I have told anybody this story but my father.
 
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L J S A said:
Look at that head of hair!
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Funny, you mention that, on pardon the interruption on Friday in the opening introduction they made a joke about something very old. Tony said it was and Louie carnesseca (giving hubie a break for once) and then they wish Lou a Happy Birthday and comment about his great head of hair.
 
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