RIP Coach Carnesecca

I have so many stories including one I previously shared here on how he helped me between my junior and senior year after my mother passed away. I can’t repeat it now because I am becoming too emotional just thinking about it but will never forget it and what people from St. John’s did for me that year.

When he announced his retirement, I wrote a letter to him and delivered it personally. I sat with him in his office and I asked him not to open it until after I left for I knew I would get emotional. We had a nice long chat before I left. I got a call from he a few days later thanking me for my kind words and a note in the mail later.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Rest In Peace Coach
 
SJU85 said:
I have so many stories including one I previously shared here on how he helped me between my junior and senior year after my mother passed away. I can’t repeat it now because I am becoming too emotional just thinking about it but will never forget it and what people from St. John’s did for me that year.

When he announced his retirement, I wrote a letter to him and delivered it personally. I sat with him in his office and I asked him not to open it until after I left for I knew I would get emotional. We had a nice long chat before I left. I got a call from he a few days later thanking me for my kind words and a note in the mail later.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Rest In Peace Coach
Click to expand...
The stories that Alumni Hall has told that you were around the team too are some of the best I've ever heard. I don't think I'm ever going to get on a bus again after the story Almuni told which you laughed at and said it was true about Looie cranking up the heat on the team bus so much :)
 
I posted the following in another chain awhile back but thought it worth reposting here. RIP coach.

My uncle happened to be Looie's eye doctor, and was very friendly with the Carnesecca family. Through this connection, I went to a team reception at the Sly Fox Inn circa 1985-86 where I met Looie for the first time. I was 10 or 11 and played for my CYO team St. Robert's at the time. The Mullin teams were my absolute heros and I was in awe being at the reception. My uncle introduced me to Looie, saying that I was a player and specifically a point guard. I was beyond nervous. Coach looked at me and smiled, took me by the shoulder and said something to the effect of "I think we'll have an opening at the point down the road if you work hard enough, you never know." I don't think my feet touched the ground for about a month after that.
 
espken said:
Tail end of Mullin interview at start of video.
Complete interview will surface soon, until then this will do.

Click to expand...

With all the stories of how nice Lou was, and I had the good fortune to meet him a couple times when I was a kid and he was, the thing that might be getting lost is how successful he was. The man had St John’s ranked number 1 in the country , was a 1 seed in the tournament and made a Final 4. If I am one of the 4 or 5 younger guys on this board I probably think that is made up.
 
19854ever said:
Mods or anyone please post any wake/funeral info for Coach.
Click to expand...
At bottom here

www.stjohns.edu

In Memoriam: Lou Carnesecca ’50C, ’60GEd, ’00HON

St. John’s University mourns the passing of Luigi “Lou” P. Carnesecca ’50C, ’60GEd, ’00HON, who passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, November 30. Coach Carnesecca was 99 years old and just five weeks shy of his 100th birthday.
www.stjohns.edu www.stjohns.edu


Screenshot_20241202_212425_Chrome.jpg
 
mjmaherjr said:
The stories that Alumni Hall has told that you were around the team too are some of the best I've ever heard. I don't think I'm ever going to get on a bus again after the story Almuni told which you laughed at and said it was true about Looie cranking up the heat on the team bus so much :)
Click to expand...
To paraphrase a line said by Robin Harris in the Kid and Play movie “House Party”,

It was so hot on the bus during one of those road trips, I swear I saw the devil himself sitting in one of the seats and heard him say “Damn, It’s hot in here!”
 
I hate to attach sports with far more important real life issues.

Having said that, I expect the team to come out flying against K~State. Even if these players were not even born when Carnesecca retired, in no way could the team not have been affected by his passing.

Oftentimes a group rallies around an emotional moment and it fuels some magic. And we all know Carnesecca will be watching from above., probably while yucking it up with Dave Gavitt, John Thompson, and Rollie Massimino. Oh the stories.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top