St. John's basketball coach Rick Pitino honors Lou Carnesecca with classy gesture
12/08/2024 09:34 AM
St. John’s basketball coach Rick Pitino paid homage to the school’s legendary coach Lou Carnesecca. Pitino wore a sweater during the Kansas State game Saturday, in tribute to the legendary coach. He even went so far as to have the sweater tailor-made, per CBS Sports.
The sweater looked exactly like the classic wardrobe accessory that Carnesecca made famous in the 1980s.
“Had five people look online and nobody could find that sweater. Rightfully so Lou was a legendary person, legendary coach, but one of the five worst dressers in the history of the game,” Pitino said. “We couldn’t find that sweater anywhere, so we found the pieces, cut out the pieces, and took it to a seamstress and put it together, and that sweater is going to rest in peace with Lou.”
The Red Storm honored Carnesecca with a win over Kansas State, in the Big East-Big 12 battle. St. John’s came out with an impressive 88-71 victory.
“I don’t think I would have ever forgiven myself if we lost this game,” Pitino added. “It’s been an emotional week for me personally, not only with my two best friends, but with Lou, and it was really, really important that we get a win for Lou. Great crowd, a great second half. A lot of emotion behind the game, and Lou lived a great life. … I told the guys, you got all these St. John’s legends, and St. John’s ruled the world on the East Coast in the ’60s, the ’70s, the ’80s, and it was all for the name on the front.”
Carnesecca recently passed away at the age of 99. He is beloved by St. John’s basketball fans, and known as a gentleman of the game. The late coach led St. John’s to the Final Four in 1985.
Rick Pitino has high expectations in 2025 for St. John’s basketball
St. John’s basketball is on solid ground, with Pitino in his second year at the school. The program missed the NCAA tournament last season, but it seems poised to make March Madness this year. A win over Kansas State basketball goes a long way on the team’s resumé.
St. John’s never had the same kind of success after Carnesecca left, but things look different with Pitino at the helm. St. John’s last made March Madness during the 2019 season. Its last Final Four appearance was in 1985 with Coach Lou. The program hasn’t won a Big East Conference tournament championship since 2000.
Pitino has won everywhere he’s been, although not without controversy. The head coach took Providence, Louisville and Kentucky to Final Fours. He won national championships at Louisville and Kentucky, but his Louisville title was vacated due to scandal.
The St. John’s team is now 7-2 after the win over the Wildcats. St. John’s next plays Bryant on Wednesday.
The post St. John’s basketball coach Rick Pitino honors Lou Carnesecca with classy gesture appeared first on ClutchPoints.
