Lou Carnesecca

Lou Carnesecca (born January 5, 1925)

Teams coached: St. John’s Redmen
St. John’s record: 724-354 (.672)
Overall record^: 724-354 (.672)

Career Accomplishments:

  • NCAA National Championships:  0
  • NCAA Tournament Appearances:  18  (1967, 1968, 1969, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992)
  • NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen:  5  (1967, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1991)
  • NCAA Tournament Final Four:  1  (1985)
  • NIT Championships:  1  (1989)
  • NIT Appearances:  6  (1966, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1981, 1989)
  • Big East Regular Season Champion:  5  (1980, 1983, 1985, 1986, 1992)
  • Big East Tournament Champion:  2  (1983, 1986)

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

1973-1992 St. John’s
1970-1973 New York Nets
1965-1970 St. John’s
1957-1965 St. John’s (asst)

Lou Carnesecca Facts

  • Luigi P. Carnesecca
  • Born January 5, 1925
  • Hometown: New York City, NY
  • Alma Mater: St. John’s University (BA, 1950)
  • Carnesecca was born to an Italian family in New York City, attending St. Ann’s Academy in Queens (now Archbishop Molloy HS)
  • Served in the US Coast Guard after graduation from 1943-46; afterwards, Carnesecca attended St. John’s University
  • Started coaching after graduation, becoming the head coach at his alma mater St. Ann’s in 1950
    • He left in 1957 and was succeeded by legendary Molloy head coach Jack Curran
  • After eight seasons as an assistant at St. John’s under Joe Lapchick, he became head coach of the (then) Redmen in 1965
    • Went to three NCAA Tournaments and two NITs in his first five-year stint at SJU
  • Spent three years as the coach of the New York Nets, then an ABA team
    • Was 114-138 during that tenure, taking the team to the 1972 ABA Finals before ultimately losing to the Indiana Pacers
  • Returned to St. John’s in 1973 and remained the Redmen’s head coach for the next nineteen seasons (24 total)
    • Won 526 total games, led the team to 18 NCAA Tournaments, five Sweet Sixteens and one Final Four appearance in 1985
    • Was an instrumental figure in the formation and popularization of the Big East Conference in 1980s
    • Redmen won the first ever Big East title and made history as one of three Big East teams to make the Final Four in 1985
    • Retired in 1992 following his fifth Big East title
  • Still a presence within the Red Storm program; historic Alumni Hall was renamed Carnesecca Arena in 2004 in his honor
    • The stadium is home to the Red Storm women’s team and hosts occasional men’s games
  • Along with his wife, Mary, has one daughter

Lou Carnesecca Coaching Tree

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at the NCAA Division I level only