MULZOFF RESIGNS; SPURNS NEW PACT FROM ST. JOHN'S
By GORDON S. WHITE JR.MARCH 13, 1973
March 13, 1973, Page 45
The New York Times Archives
Frank Mulzoff resigned yesterday as St. John's basketball coach two days after his team had lost to Pennsylvania, 62‐61, in the first round of the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament.
The 44‐year‐old coach, whose three‐year contract expires June 30, turned down the university's offer of a two‐year pact with a 5.8 per cent salary increase. Mulzoff has been paid about $17,500 a year since he became coach in 1970. The proferred raise was equal to what St. John's recently gave faculty members.
Mulzoff said: “I want a new challenge. At St. John's, it's just to keep winning. I have done that. Now I want a place not as successful, a place that wants to begin winning. There are quite a few such openings.” However, he left without another job in hand. That is rare for a successful coach.
Has an Alternative
“I'm perfectly sure I made the right decision,” added Mulzoff, who has six children. “If I can't find a college basketball job, I can always go back to high school teaching.”
St. John's does not have a successor yet. The coach told university officials of his decision Friday. Neither of his assistants, Chuck McAuley and Joel de Angelis, is considered a candidate.
Those mentioned as possible choices were Johnny Kresse, assistant coach with the New York Nets and former St. John's assistant; Jack Rohan, Columbia's coach, and Lou Carnesecca, coach of the Nets, who preceded Mulzoff as St. John's coach.
Jack Kaiser, who succeeds Wailer McLaughlin as St. John's director of athletics in June, said he would decide with plenty of help from Walter and others.”
Was Freshman Coach
Mulzoff moved up from freshman to varsity coach in the spring of 1970, when Carnesecca moved to the Nets. He carried on the winning tradition of the Redmen with a 56‐27 won‐lost record in three seasons. His Learns were in a postseason tournament each year—two National Invitation Tournaments and this year's N.C.A.A. championship, St. John's won the Holiday Festival last December.
But that he was offered only a minimum salary increase and there was no sound of regret at St. John's indicated that winning was not everything at the largest Catholic university the country; winning was taken for granted.
Mulzoff's problem was that he never received the popular acclaim from students, faculty, alumni and Warn members that had been lavished on Carnesecca and the late Joe Lapchick. Lapchick, who coached St. Iohn's from 1936 to 1947 and from 1956 to 1965, was one of the most popular men on the New York sports scene for three decades.
In fact, Mulzoff's players were close to open revolt at times. Mel Davis, star of the 1971‐72 team, who sat out this season with injuries, never got along with the coach. Davis is expected back next winter.
Mulzoff and his players did better than expected this season, winning 19 games and losing only seven despite the loss of Davis. Billy Schaeffer and Ed Searcy were the stars.
Mulzoff's style of running basketball contrasted with the planned, slower style fans had been used to seeing when Lapchick and Carnesecca coached.
St. John's lost some games fans felt it should have won, and the result was “Good‐by Frankie!” chants at Alumni Hall in Jamaica, Queens. This obviously annoyed Mulzoff.
Mulzoff played under Frank McGuire from 1948 to 1951 and was co‐captain of the 1950‐51 team with Al McGuire, now coach at Marquette. Al is not related to Frank, now coaching South Carolina.
ST. JOHN'S COACHES
