The St. John’s University community will gather to mourn legendary basketball coach Lou Carnesecca on the Hillcrest campus he loved with all of his heart Friday morning for his Funeral Mass at St. Thomas More Church, where he will be remembered not just for building a dynamic program, but for the way he did it. The beloved coach died peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Saturday, Nov. 30, at age 99 and just five weeks shy of his 100th birthday.
“Throughout his long life, Coach Carnesecca represented St. John’s with savvy, humility, smarts, tenacity, wit, integrity and grace,” SJU President Rev. Brian Shanley said. “He was the public face of our University, and he embodied the values of our Catholic and Vincentian mission. We thank God for his legacy.”
Madison Square Garden held a moment of silence for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer before the New York Knicks game on Sunday. Those of a certain age who rose to their feet remembered a time when the St. John’s Redmen were New York sports royalty and their coach in his trademark ugly sweaters was a true prince of the city.
“We lost an iconic St. John’s man,” SJU Basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino said. “His coaching expertise was as good as anyone in basketball, but the man surpassed that.”
Born in 1925, the son of Italian immigrants, Luigi Carnesecca grew up in East Harlem, living above the family-owned grocery store. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. In 1965, he replaced another SJU coaching legend, Joe Lapchick, who gave him a card with his favorite proverb: “A peacock today, a feather duster tomorrow.” Carnesecca would pass that philosophy to his legion of players.
“He treated young people, young coaches, his players and fans with such tremendous humility,” FOX Sports College Basketball Lead Analyst Bill Raftery said. “He made everybody feel good. He was a gracious winner and a gracious loser, although he didn’t lose very often.”
Carnesecca led St. John’s to 24 winning campaigns in 24 seasons from 1965-70, and, after a three-year stint as head coach of the New York Nets in the old ABA, returned to his alma mater in 1973, where he remained until retiring in 1992. His team advanced to the postseason each year, appearing in the NCAA Tournament 18 times and the NIT Tournament six times. He was named National Coach of the Year twice, Big East Coach of the Year three times and Metropolitan Coach of the Year six times during his storied career in which he registered a 526-200 mark.
“As a kid growing up in Queens, Coach Carnesecca’s teams played an instrumental role in my earliest basketball memories,” Seton Hall Head Coach Shaheen Holloway said. “His passion for the game influenced so many, and he represented the Metropolitan Area with grace and class at the highest levels of basketball.”
Brian Mahoney was a longtime SJU assistant coach and succeeded Carnesecca when he retired.
“I knew Lou for 60 years, going back to basketball camps,” Mahoney said. “He was my coach, boss, mentor and father figure. He taught me so many things about basketball and about life. All our years at St. John’s we had incredible teams and truly loved all our kids.”
Under Carnesecca, the program produced more than 40 NBA Draft picks, including first-rounders LeRoy Elis, Sonny Dove, Chis Mullin, Mark Jackson, Walter Berry, Jayson Williams, Malik Sealy and Bill Wennington, who went on to win three NBA Championships with the Chicago Bulls.
“Coach Carnesecca was like a father to us all. Not only did he teach us to be better basketball players, he taught us how to be better men,” Wennington said. “He stayed in contact with me throughout my career, always calling and asking about how my family, my wife and my son were doing. He is a true friend and will be sorely missed.”
Carnesecca is survived by his beloved wife of 37 years, Mary, daughter Enes and son-in-law Gerard, a granddaughter, a niece and nephew and extended family. His Funeral Mass is at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas More Church, located at 8000 Utopia Pkwy.
“While he was undoubtedly one of the all-time greats to ever roam a sideline, Lou Carnesecca was so much more than a coach to everyone at St. John’s,” SJU VP and Director of Athletics Edward Kull said. “From the first time I first met him more than 20 years ago, he had this incredible ability to make everyone feel important and made everyone feel like a someone. He embodied everything that is great about this University, this city and the sport of basketball. There will never be another like him and we are all better for having known him.”
Kull is a proud graduate of Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, the same school that produced Carnesecca in 1943, back when it was called St. Ann’s Academy. He returned to St. Ann’s Academy in 1950, where he taught health and civics in addition to beginning his storied coaching career.
“Coach Carnesecca set the tone for excellence on and off the court,” Molloy’s President Richard Karsten said. “His contributions to basketball at the high school, college and pro levels changed the game, and he inspired others to coach and play with passion and honor. His leadership, loyalty and faith truly exemplified the Stanner spirit in every way. On behalf of everyone at Molloy, I extend my deepest condolences to Mr. Carnesecca’s family, friends, players and colleagues. May he rest in peace.
