Lou Carnesecca Dies at 99; Legendary St. John's MCBB HC Inducted into HOF in 1992

Lou Carnesecca, longtime St. John's basketball head coach and Hall of Famer, died on Saturday at age 99.

St. John's said in a statement that Carnesecca died "surrounded by family" just over a month shy of what would have been his 100th birthday.

Carnesecca helmed St. John's from 1965 to 1970 and returned to coach from 1973 to 1992. He guided the program into the BIG EAST conference as a charter member and was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame after his 1992 retirement.

Over his 24 seasons as head coach, Carnesecca led the Red Storm to a 526-500 record, 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, two NIT championships and a run to the 1985 Final Four. He was widely known for his colorful sweaters.

Carnesecca coached more than 40 players who went on to be drafted into the NBA, including Chris Mullin, Bill Wennington, Mark Jackson, Jayson Williams and Malik Sealy, according to St. John's.

St. John's on-campus arena was renamed Carnesecca Arena in 2004, and the school unveiled a statue of Carnesecca in the arena lobby in 2021. When asked to describe St. John's in one word in 2019, Carnesecca answered, "Home."

Carnesecca was survived by family including his wife of 73 years, Mary, according to St. John's.