Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca follows St. John’s from afar during pandemic

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Hall of Fame basketball coach Lou Carnesecca turned 96 in January and continues to follow his beloved St. John’s. Photo by Zeuscgp/Wikimedia Commons

Hall of Fame basketball coach Lou Carnesecca turned 96 in January and continues to follow his beloved St. John’s. Photo by Zeuscgp/Wikimedia Commons

By Phil Konigsberg

As the college basketball season draws to a close, fans are gearing up for conference tournaments prior to Selection Sunday on March 14. 

St. John’s University supporters, players and alumni are no doubt anxious as their team teeters on the NCAA Tournament bubble. And that includes the most important member of the Red Storm family: Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca.

Carnesecca, known as Coach or Looie by his friends, recently celebrated his 96th birthday and has continued cheering on his beloved Red Storm from afar during the pandemic.

Prior to last season’s shutdown, Carnesecca could be found at his courtside seats behind the St. John's bench at Madison Square Garden or at the campus home court renamed in his honor, Carnesecca Arena. Since late November, however, he has been restricted to watching St. John's games in front of his television screen.

 "I miss the interaction with the basketball alumni and fans very much. I love being around them, staying in touch and talking basketball," Carnesecca said in a recent interview.

There's no doubt his friends and former players miss the camaraderie they have with the basketball icon who coached St. John's from 1965 to 1970 and again from 1973 to 1992.

When the halftime buzzer sounds at Madison Square Garden and fans proceed to the concession stand or the bathroom, many St. John's supporters instead make their way to see Coach Carnesecca at courtside. Above them, a banner hanging from the rafters recognizes the coach’s 526 NCAA wins. 

As both teams head to their respective locker rooms, a small convention meets at Looie’s seat, with each delegate taking their turn hugging and talking with him. Former Johnnies reminisce about about their days on the court with their coach and mentor. 

But it's not just his former players who congregate courtside. NBA legends, sports broadcasters, actors and kids all want to say hello to the charismatic coach and pose for selfies with the Hall of Famer.

Carnesecca said he manages to stay connected to his extended family in spite of the pandemic. 

“I do stay in touch with a number of SJU basketball alumni by phone these days since we can't meet,” he said.

He has also stayed in contact with current St. John's head coach Mike Anderson. Carnesecca said they have spoken a number of times during the season and he is very impressed with Anderson's leadership, patience with his team and his concern for his student-athletes. 

Before the start of the basketball season, when the weather was better, he was able to watch the team practice in-person at a safe distance from others inside Carnesecca Arena. That changed as COVID cases once again rose in Queens late last year.

Carnesecca began his coaching career at St. Ann's Academy, now known as Archbishop Molloy High School before moving to the NCAA to lead St. John’s. He coached the New York Nets in the ABA for three years before returning to campus.

Games without fans in the stands have been jarring for Carnesecca who said he never could have imagined coaching in an empty arena during his 42 years on the sidelines. 

“I have thought about it and I think it would have been very strange for me. Even when I coached at St. Ann's, the stands were always full of fans supporting their team,” he said. “I feel sorry for the student-athletes not hearing the crowd rooting for or against them. The atmosphere is so electric when the crowd is following every play closely.”

Carnesecca said he has enjoyed watching this year’s team and had high praise for 6’8” sophomore swing player Julian Champagnie.

“I am most impressed with how much Julian Champagnie has matured since last season thanks to his hard work during the off season and during and after each practice,” Carnesecca said

While Champagnie, a Brooklyn native, chose to stay close to home, his brother Justin opted to attend Pittsburgh in the Atlantic Coast Conference. 

Both sophomores have become their team's leading scorers and may face each other early in their junior year. St. John’s and Pitt have agreed to participate in the Gotham Classic at Madison Square Garden in December, according to CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein.

Carnesecca said the brother vs. brother matchup would be unique, at least for the past few generations of Red Storm players.

"While coaching, I do not recall a game where brothers played against one another,” he said. “I had the pleasure of being the SJU assistant coach when the McIntrye brothers played together in the mid-60s and saw the McGuire brothers play at SJU back in the late-40s.”

“I am sure the Champagnie brothers will want to do their best, but it will be a tough day for their parents who would want both their sons to do well and for the game to end in a draw,” he added.

The Red Storm have stumbled in recent weeks, going from a Big Dance bubble team to a likely NIT invitee unless they are able pull off a Big East Conference Tournament title run. 

If St. John’s doesn’t hear its name called on Selection Sunday they may end up facing off against some other historic powerhouses in the lesser tournament. Duke, Kentucky and Michigan State have all struggled and likely won’t make the NCAA Tournament unless they too win their conference tournaments.

Might a matchup between St. John's and Duke in the NIT final cap a very unusual college basketball season?

Or maybe the Red Storm will make a run in the conference tournament and grab a spot in the field of 68 heading to the NCAA Tournament. 

Whatever the case, St. John’s has exceeded expectations this season. The team is 15-10 overall with a 9-9 conference record good enough for fifth place in the 11-school Big East. A preseason coaches’ poll picked the Johnnies to finish ninth. 

Carnesecca said he is impressed by the team’s strong performance but not surprised by Anderson’s coaching ability.

"Coach Anderson is a proven winner, but I must say I was surprised at how quickly he has been able to get them to play as a team in such a short period of time considering all the new student-athletes that had to learn his system,” he said.