Hall of Fame men’s college basketball coach Lou Carnesecca, who won 526 games during a legendary career at St. John’s, died on Saturday. He was 99.
St. John’s announced the news of Carnesecca’s death, saying he died surrounded by his family.
Carnesecca coached St. John’s for 24 seasons, getting two stints with the school (1965-70, 1973-92).
None of Carnesecca’s teams ever recorded a losing season, with all 24 of them qualifying for a postseason tournament. St. John’s went to 18 NCAA Tournaments under Carnesecca.
Carnesecca was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992, then landed in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame 14 years later. He was a two-time National Coach of the Year, a three-time Big East Coach of the Year and a six-time Metropolitan Coach of the Year.
Hailing from New York, Carnesecca stayed local for college and attended St. John’s, but before doing so, he served in the United States Coast Guard for three years during World War II.
When he wasn’t coaching the St. John’s, Carnesecca was with the New York Nets of the ABA for three seasons (1971-73). During that time, New York never miss the playoffs and reached the ABA Finals in 1972.
Carnesecca leaves his wife of 73 years, Mary. In a news release, St. John’s said that details of memorial services will be released when they become available.
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