Lavin Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, Expected to Make Full Recovery

St. John’s head men’s basketball coach Steve Lavin was diagnosed with low-grade, early stage prostate cancer this past fall and will undergo necessary treatment for the condition in the weeks to come, the University announced late Friday morning.

A statement released by the University said Lavin, 46, will be able to continue his coaching duties through treatment, without interruption.

“My family feels fortunate that through annual health exams, we detected my condition at an early stage,” said Lavin. “This past fall I didn’t want to distract our team, but with the season behind us, we are now working with medical experts and taking the proper steps to tackle this health challenge head on.”

Lavin and his staff famously wore white sneakers for much of the 2010-2011 season, a move to promote awareness for Coaches vs. Cancer, an annual fundraiser that raises money to combat the disease. Throughout the past decade, in his time as head coach at UCLA and as a broadcaster at ESPN, Lavin has also been active in The V Foundation for Cancer Research, including being part of the President’s Club leadership group for the foundation the past six years.

“We are pleased that through early detection we determined Coach Lavin’s condition as a relatively low-grade cancer, and one that could wait for treatment until the conclusion of the basketball season,” said Jonathan Schiff, M.D., a board-certified urologist in private practice in New York City. “I expect a complete cure of Coach Lavin’s condition and we anticipate a seamless continuation of his coaching duties.”

In his first season at the helm for St. John’s, Lavin led the Red Storm to their first NCAA appearance in nearly a decade and revitalized fans, alumni, and the city. The Johnnies also made their way into the Top 25 rankings in both polls for the first time since 2000 and have the 2nd-ranked recruiting class in the country headed to Queens for the 2011-2012 season.

“We are encouraged by the early diagnosis and expect that Steve will continue his regular coaching activities,” said St. John’s Director of Athletics Chris Monasch, “We do not anticipate any disruption in his duties as our head coach, and thank all in advance for their support of Steve and respect for his family’s privacy.”