St. John’s fans want a new “homerun” coach in a New York minute. The latest and greatest name to emerge from the list of potential candidates is former UCLA coach and current ESPN analyst, Steve Lavin.
Most of you reading this site should already be pretty informed on who Lavin is but for those of you who aren’t here is a little background on the 45 year old.
In his five years as a head coach for the Bruins he led them 145-78 record, 6 NCAA Tournament appearances, and advancing to the Sweet 16 or beyond five of those seven years.
However things came to an abrupt ending for Lavin as Bruin fans still hold animosity for their first losing season since the invention of the wheel.
“Steve Lavin would be a huge get for St. John’s,” a source affiliated with the Pac-10 told JohnnyJungle.com. “He would drive Lute Olsen crazy because he was the one guy who could go into someone’s living room and out recruit Lute in his hay day.”
Lavin sure sounds like Superman however everyone has their kryptonite. For Lavin it was his player development and overall knowledge of the X’s and O’s.
The most famous shot at Lavin was by former Bruin and current NBA player Baron Davis who told the LA Daily News, “We should have a banner up there: the only team to make the tournament without a coach.”
Its looks like Lavin has matured in his 7 years after his departure from the Bruins. He’s been a respectable analyst for ESPN, a keynote speaker at many camps and clinics, and is already rumored to be assembling an all-star coaching staff to surround him at St. John’s. Names like former UVA coach Dave Leitao, current Manhattan Coach Barry Rohrssen, Fordham Coach Jared Grasso, and the latest name to be added to the list is Jay Williams who works with Lavin at ESPN.
Lavin has stayed local on the east coast in preparation for his interview with AD Chris Monasch according to everyone in the NY media who exclusively reported it first.
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