Rick Pitino - Head Coach at St John’s University!!!

SJU went many years without attracting top coaching candidates because they paid so little. They went 75 years underpaying their coaches because university felt that with the NYC recruiting area just about any coach could win even someone named Frank Mulzoff.
And they were right. Strictly hiring asst coaches and a few mid major coaches who were thrilled to get the job so there were no salary demands. And the teams performed just fine. One can always wonder if they did open the pocketbook and hire a top coach could some of those teams in the 50s, 60s and 70s have been even more successful.
The story that no top coach was interested in coming to SJU is pure BS. It took years of failure and Steve Lavin to break that asst coach, mid major history. SJU may not have had the finances to hire a top coach but it wasn’t because nobody was interested.
 
GardenCity62 said:
The story that no top coach was interested in coming to SJU is pure BS. It took years of failure and Steve Lavin to break that asst coach, mid major history. SJU may not have had the finances to hire a top coach but it wasn’t because nobody was interested.
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Steve Lavin had been out of coaching for 6 years I believe when SJu hired him, he was not at the top of anyone’s list.
Sorry but Jarvis was paid a very fair salary.
I am with Beast on this one.
 
GardenCity62 said:
SJU went many years without attracting top coaching candidates because they paid so little. They went 75 years underpaying their coaches because university felt that with the NYC recruiting area just about any coach could win even someone named Frank Mulzoff.
And they were right. Strictly hiring asst coaches and a few mid major coaches who were thrilled to get the job so there were no salary demands. And the teams performed just fine. One can always wonder if they did open the pocketbook and hire a top coach could some of those teams in the 50s, 60s and 70s have been even more successful.
The story that no top coach was interested in coming to SJU is pure BS. It took years of failure and Steve Lavin to break that asst coach, mid major history. SJU may not have had the finances to hire a top coach but it wasn’t because nobody was interested.
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I am very confused by this post. Our coaches in the 50's, 60's, and 70's were Frank McGuire, Joe Lapchick, and Lou Carneseccs, all members of the Hall of Fame. Frank Muzloff had a two year run while Coach Carnesecca was with the Nets.
 
Frank McGuire and Looie were asst coaches and SJU lucked out because of their ability and the NYC recruiting area. Frank made sixty five hundred when he left and Looie tripled his salary when he left. Lapchick was also underpaid considering his accomplishments,
After Looie retired NYC was no longer the totally dominant recruiting area it had been and the SJU selections for coaches was pretty bad. Jarvis had early success and Franchilla was successful until he realized how underpaid he was and SJU bounced him when he tried to get a better paying job.
 
Rick Pitino Joins ESPN’s SportsCenter Tonight at 10 p.m.
St. John’s Head Coach to talk St. John’s Basketball and will be joined by his son, New Mexico Head Coach Richard Pitino for an interview with ESPN host Kevin Connors
UEENS, N.Y. (February 16, 2025) – St. John’s Hall of Fame Coach Rick Pitino will join tonight’s 10 p.m. edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter with his son Richard Pitino, the head coach of the New Mexico men’s basketball program. The Red Storm and Lobos each improved to 22-4 on the season with home wins over Creighton and Utah State, respectively. ESPN host Kevin Connors will conduct the joint interview which will air around 10:15 p.m. ET.
 
GardenCity62 said:
Frank McGuire and Looie were asst coaches and SJU lucked out because of their ability and the NYC recruiting area. Frank made sixty five hundred when he left and Looie tripled his salary when he left. Lapchick was also underpaid considering his accomplishments,
After Looie retired NYC was no longer the totally dominant recruiting area it had been and the SJU selections for coaches was pretty bad. Jarvis had early success and Franchilla was successful until he realized how underpaid he was and SJU bounced him when he tried to get a better paying job.
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Just to throw out this info that came to me while talking with an old friend re Louie, at the time of his passing. This individual played for Louie and I commented that it was too bad that John Kresse left, with Louie, for the Nets, instead of taking over as head coach at SJU.
He replied that Kresse had no choice because the athletic director, at the time, Walter McLaughlin, preferred Mulzoff to Kresse.
All these years, never before heard that version of events.
 
MainMan said:
For whatever reason, we were always shut out of St. Ray's players during their glory days until Ricky Torres. Felt that their coach Gary Decessare held a grudge or something.
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SJU fans nicknamed him “Gary Disaster.” He was obviously a major player in the HS basketball landscape, and wanted to be treated as such.

Not sure what the root cause was, because the animosity towards SJU ran deeply. It definitely was more than never being offered an assistant position here.
 
kranmars said:
SJU fans nicknamed him “Gary Disaster.” He was obviously a major player in the HS basketball landscape, and wanted to be treated as such.

Not sure what the root cause was, because the animosity towards SJU ran deeply. It definitely was more than never being offered an assistant position here.
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The biggest problem was Ernie Lorch and Riverstde exerting pressure on the program. Other AAU coaches felt that their players would not get a fair shot. Some of you should remember Reggie Jessie from Riverside initially starting over Lavar Postell from the Panthers. Then there was James Scott having to take a back seat to Felipe and the situation with Roshown McLeod. A lot of AAU coaches did not feel comfortable sending players to St, John's.

On another note, once Ron Rutledge retired, our recruiting took a step back.
 
panther2 said:
The biggest problem was Ernie Lorch and Riverstde exerting pressure on the program. Other AAU coaches felt that their players would not get a fair shot. Some of you should remember Reggie Jessie from Riverside initially starting over Lavar Postell from the Panthers. Then there was James Scott having to take a back seat to Felipe and the situation with Roshown McLeod. A lot of AAU coaches did not feel comfortable sending players to St, John's.

On another note, once Ron Rutledge retired, our recruiting took a step back.
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From personal experience, spot on post my friend.
 
panther2 said:
The biggest problem was Ernie Lorch and Riverstde exerting pressure on the program. Other AAU coaches felt that their players would not get a fair shot. Some of you should remember Reggie Jessie from Riverside initially starting over Lavar Postell from the Panthers. Then there was James Scott having to take a back seat to Felipe and the situation with Roshown McLeod. A lot of AAU coaches did not feel comfortable sending players to St, John's.

On another note, once Ron Rutledge retired, our recruiting took a step back.
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Thanks Panther.

I understand that some HS coaches would approve their kids playing for AAU certain programs to keep them playing together.

Did St. Ray’s lean towards the Panthers?

I guess that is also why it was impossible to bring in a local HS coach to the staff because it would alienate all other high schools.

If I am not mistaken, Lavin broke that unwritten rule when he hired Mo Hicks as DOBO, who coached at Rice HS.
 
kranmars said:
Thanks Panther.

I understand that some HS coaches would approve their kids playing for AAU certain programs to keep them playing together.

Did St. Ray’s lean towards the Panthers?

I guess that is also why it was impossible to bring in a local HS coach to the staff because it would alienate all other high schools.

If I am not mistaken, Lavin broke that unwritten rule when he hired Mo Hicks as DOBO, who coached at Rice HS.
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Gary DeCesare started his own AAU program, the New York Ravens. He wanted total control of his players. e Both of our programs wer sponsored by Sonny Vaccaro and Adidas.
 
yes ernie had a dark side to him. i sat in front of ernie at alumni hall for nearly 20 years. he always brought 6 or 8 or so high school kids with him. ernie would introduce me to each guy. all the SJU assistants would come by for a quick hello to the guys. while the game was going on ernie would talk to the guys about if they wanted, they could play college ball. he wanted the guys to see a college situation. ernie was totally respectful to the guys, coaches, college basketball, and myself.
 
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