Mr. Lou Carnesecca

Luigi P. Carnesecca, born January 5, 1925 in New York City, is a former basketball coach at St. John’s University. He coached the Redmen’s basketball program to 526 wins and 200 losses over 24 seasons (1965-70, 1973-92). “Looie” (as he was popularly known by fans and by the media) reached the post-season in every season he coached the team, including a Final Four appearance in 1985. He was selected as the National Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985 by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

In November 2004, St. John’s University officially dedicated and renamed the historic Alumni Hall to Carnesecca Arena.

Carnesecca graduated from St. John’s in 1950. He also coached his high school alma mater, St. Ann’s, where he was succeeded by Jack Curran. Carnesecca also coached the New York Nets of the defunct American Basketball Association in the early 1970s, when they were playing in Island Garden in West Hempstead, New York on Long Island. They are now the NBA’s New Jersey Nets.

Lou also was a longtime announcer for the USA Network’s coverage of the yearly NBA drafts of the 1980s.

Carnesecca was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. Lou still serves as a goodwill ambassador for St. John’s and is widely respected for his decency and humanity all through out the basketball world. He is a daily communicant and retains a strong and vibrant love and devotion to the Catholic Church. He serves as an advisory board member of Catholic Athletes for Christ.