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The word is official. Steve Lavin is the next coach of St. John’s University Men’s Basketball team. Lavin has been all over the city today talking to each and every media outlet. Here’s everything in recap for you to enjoy in case you missed a New York minute.

-Steve Lavin on the Mike Francessa Show WFAN 660- Listen

-Steve Lavin on the Michael Kay Show 1050 ESPN Radio- Listen

-Lavin appears on SNY- Watch

Steve Lavin Named St. John’s 19th Head Men’s Basketball Coach, Press Release, RedStormSports.com

QUEENS, N.Y. – Red Storm Director of Athletics Chris Monasch announced on Tuesday that Steve Lavin – whose seven-year coaching record at UCLA included six NCAA Tournament appearances, five trips to the NCAA Round of 16, and six seasons of 21 wins or more – will be the 19th head men’s basketball coach in St. John’s University’s 102-plus years of storied tradition on the hardwood.

Lavin Agrees to become coach at St. John’s, Jim O’Connell, AP

“This was an extended sabbatical that allowed me to stay close to the game, a little more distant to see things with more clarity and when you come back to the game you bring all that with you to enhance your ability to coach and run a successful program.”

“That’s my No. 1 priority,” he said. “I want assistants who are strong in the Northeast with recruiting ties and I want to look for people who have had experience as a head coach.”

Steve Lavin Hired to Coach St. Johns, Replacing Norm Roberts, Mason Levinson, Bloomberg

“Steve brings the skill set and persona that we feel gives us a chance to compete at the highest level in the Big East,” St. John’s Athletic Director Chris Monasch said in a statement.

“Since coach Lavin was unveiled as a candidate, you could feel the excitement throughout the city,” Monasch said. “St. John’s is poised to recapture its legacy as New York’s college team.”

St. John’s gives former UCLA coach Steve Lavin six-year deal to take over Red Storm hoops program, Roger Rubin and Sean Brennan, NY Daily News

“St. John’s truly is a sleeping giant, I’ve been telling my friends that,” Lavin told The News. “There is so much potential there with the Garden and the Big East and the tremendous amount of talent and tradition. If New York is behind St. John’s, it could be a beautiful thing.”

Lavin to become next coach of St. John’s, Adam Zagoria, SNY

“This is an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to return to the sidelines coaching college basketball at a school like St. John’s that has such tradition and heritage in terms of the history of basketball,” Lavin, 45, said in a statement. “Then you add the academic dimension, as well as New York City and Madison Square Garden, it’s as good as it gets.

“The veteran, senior-laden team is a real advantage in terms of having the experience of playing in the Big East and competing at the highest level,” Lavin said. “I look forward to getting to know each of the players individually, being able to sit down and watch some game film from last year, putting together a staff and starting to have our school sessions in terms of planning for next season.”

“Over my 23 years as a basketball coach and a broadcaster at the highest level, I’ve got ties in the East Coast from AAU coaches to high school coaches to current college coaches,” Lavin said.

“There’s a number of guys I’d like to talk to, that I know I have relationships with and have already been exchanging emails and phone calls and texts and we’re going to draw from a very talented pool of assistant coaches. I also want some people to have some great international ties because I think with a place like New York City you can attract people internationally.”

Steve Lavin is Your New St. John’s Head Coach, Josh Alper, NBC

There were those who thought St. John’s embarked on a fool’s errand when they tried to get a good coach with a big name to replace Norm Roberts and lift the flagging program back to the upper reaches of the Big East.
The school proved those nattering nabobs of negativism at least halfway wrong on Tuesday when they came to terms with Steve Lavin on a six-year contract to return to the sideline. Lavin has been in millions of living rooms as an ESPN analyst over the last few years and coached UCLA, not exactly a lightweight, for seven years before heading to the broadcast booth. He’s got the name that the school was looking for, now he’s just got to prove that he’s a good coach as well.