LOS ANGELES — Steve Lavin met with St. John’s administrators on Wednesday, though his future remains in limbo.
After rumors swirled Lavin could be on his way out and several sources on Tuesday expressed the belief the school was prepared to looks elsewhere, sources told The Post that Lavin and administrators began discussions on a three-year contract extension.
Sources said Lavin met with administrators for typical end-of-the-season meetings on Wednesday, part of the evaluation process the school has said it would conduct at the season’s conclusion. Lavin is expected to meet with university president Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw in the coming days.
After the Johnnies’ season-ending 76-64 loss in the NCAA Tournament to San Diego State last week, Lavin expressed confidence he would receive an extension, but as the days went on without comment or public support from the school, that came into doubt.
Lavin is entering the final year of his six-year deal. Division I coaches rarely enter that final year without an extension.
As he twisted in the wind, Lavin approached television networks about potential job opportunities, The Post reported. Several powerful alumni have voiced their displeasure with Lavin, sources said, but Gempesaw appears to be pleased with the direction of the program.
“At the end of the day the president is happy with him,” a St. John’s source said.
In five seasons, the 50-year-old Lavin has raised St. John’s profile, leading the Johnnies to a pair of NCAA Tournaments berths, three 20-win seasons and compiled an 81-55 mark. Prior to his arrival, the Red Storm had gone nine years without making the tournament.
But Lavin’s teams have also struggled in the postseason, posting a 2-8 mark, and have gone 6-13 in March, the month upon which all coaches are judged. Furthermore, Lavin’s greatest strength — recruiting — has come into question. His 2014 recruiting class was underwhelming, and two of his three signees failed to qualify, creating a short bench with very little depth this past season.
He has talked about how important the 2015 class is for years, and yet he has only one impact recruit, four-star Louisiana shooting guard Brandon Sampson, and could lose his team’s top six players — seniors D’Angelo Harrison, Phil Greene IV, Sir’Dominic Pointer and Jamal Branch, along with junior forward Chris Obekpa and sophomore guard Rysheed Jordan. Obekpa recently tested positive for marijuana use while Jordan may opt to declare for the NBA draft.