“It’s going to be very difficult to put the ball down, but the time has come,” Lou Carnesecca had heartbreakingly said during his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech in 1992. 32 years later, the hoops world has lost one of its beloved icons. It’s indeed a sad chapter. New York’s coaching legend died on Saturday afternoon at the age of 99, as per the NY Post.

Lou Carnesecca would have turned 100 on January 5.

The 1992 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee ruled the college basketball court from the sidelines with his colored sweatshirt, which ultimately went on to become his fashion statement. Carnesecca had a 24-year-long successful career at St. John’s University as a head coach, taking his side to 18 NCAA tournaments and six NIT tournaments. He was such a big household name that they renamed the historic alumni hall and made it ‘Carnesecca Arena’!

Before returning to his alma mater as a head coach, he had a brief stint coaching the New York/New Jersey Nets in the ABA between 1970-73. Lou Carnesecca retired from coaching his favorite game in 1992, months after he was inducted into the HoF. Despite retiring, the legend held an office on the Queens’ campus for the next three decades, taking over the assistant to the university president role. Moreover, as per information available on the internet, Carnesecca frequently visited the home games until 2022.

In September 2024, St. John’s University held its annual meeting with top donors and supporters, this year acknowledging the legend’s forthcoming centennial birthday. The premier fundraising event was exactly scheduled 100 days before the birthday. Joan Lacagnina, an alum, speaking of the event, said, “Italian food is more than about sustenance; it is a symbol of community, lasting love, and nourishment for mind, body, and soul… Lou Carnesecca is food for the soul of every St. John’s fan!”

By now, you’d have recalled every memory of Lou. Well, for your kind information, none of this would’ve happened if Carnesecca had followed his dad’s vision! Yes, Alfred, who was a grocery store owner in East Harlem, envisioned his son to be a doctor. Notably, ‘Looie’ even attended Fordham, but he figured out that his passion lay elsewhere.

“I ran out after two weeks,” Carnesecca revealed years later. “I was asked to please leave.” He left for Queens to join his friends- Dick McGuire, Patty Digilio, John Cannizzo, and Danny Buckley and the rest is history.

Coming back to the present day mourning, speaking of the beloved coach’s passing, another alumnus wrote, “Rest in peace Coach Lou Carnesecca. As a student at St. John’s and all the years later, he was always gracious with his time, good for a joke, and always made you feel seen. A great coach.” Truly, a great loss for the Uni.

Basketball world tips its hat to “true legend” Lou Carnesecca after devoting decades of his life to the hoop

Condolences kept flowing in. Here we bring to you notable messages from the fans. Former NBA player and coach, George Karl took to his X handle, which has around 125k followers, and wrote, “Cheers to Lou Carnesecca. Coach Carnesecca was a great basketball person. I always loved his spirit and tenacity.” Coach Carnesecca was indeed a tenacious coach, he won 526 games while losing only 200-odd games!

Popular sports columnist Peter Vecsey took to his X handle and wrote, “Got the word, Lou Carnesecca has passed. He would’ve been 100 on January 5.” Carnesecca is undoubtedly an unforgettable figure for the 81-year-old reporter, as he had sent so many players under his wing to the NBA. Here are a few players who went on to play in the biggest hoops league from the school of Carnesecca: Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Jayson Williams, Bill Wennington, Billy Paultz, George Johnson, and Walter Berry.

Following him, the head coach of George Washington University, Chris Caputo, wrote, “RIP Coach. He made.@Molloyhs proud. My earliest memories of what a college basketball coach was is of Coach wearing his sweaters at MSG. Was proud he was Italian, proud we went to the same high school. A true legend.” 

Just like Lou Carnesecca returned to his college alma mater, he also returned to his high school alma mater, Archbishop Molloy High School, for a brief coaching stint. This is how the basketball legend was able to inspire so many students and players under his wing for a very, very, very long time. We at EssentiallySports convey our condolences to Lou Carnesecca’s family.