Lou Carnesecca, Hall of Fame coach who led St. John's for 24 seasons, dies at 99
Lou Carnesecca, the excitable St. John’s coach whose outlandish sweaters became an emblem of his team’s rousing Final Four run in 1985, has died at 99, just a few weeks shy of what would have been his 100th birthday
By MIKE FITZPATRICK
Published - Dec 01, 2024, 03:03 AM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 05:10 PM EST
NEW YORK (AP) — In the long and storied history of New York City basketball, nobody wore it quite like Lou Carnesecca.
The excitable St. John’s coach whose outlandish sweaters became an emblem of his team’s rousing Final Four run in 1985, died at 99 on Saturday, just a few weeks shy of his 100th birthday.
The university said it was notified by a family member that Carnesecca died in a hospital, surrounded by loved ones. St. John's said the Hall of Fame coach “endeared himself to generations of New Yorkers with his wit and warmth.”
Carnesecca was a treasured city sports figure in his day, affection for “Little Looie” never wavering in a bustling town with scant patience for its players, coaches, executives and owners.
