St. John’s coach Steve Lavin hosted the Women’s Coaches vs. Cancer Luncheon at the Final Four in Houston last week.
Little did most of those in attendance know that Lavin was all too familiar with the subject.
Lavin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the fall, and yesterday, St. John’s announced he will begin treatment immediately.
Lavin, 46, will continue his coaching duties without interruption. April is a crucial month in recruiting, and Lavin already has plans in place to see several recruits.
“My family feels fortunate that through annual health exams, we detected my condition at an early stage,” Lavin said. “This past fall I didn’t want to distract our team, but with the season behind us, we are now working with medical experts and taking the proper steps to tackle this health challenge head on.”
Lavin is at least the third active Big East coach to have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Connecticut’s Jim Calhoun and Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim have both been treated successfully.
“I talked to him at length,” Boeheim, whose wife Juli is a driving force in Coaches vs. Cancer and helped organize the event, told The Post. “It sounds like they got it early, which is the most important factor. Steve was very positive, and he has every reason to be.”
Lavin coached St. John’s to a 21-11 record in his first season and the school’s first trip the NCAA Tournament since 2002.
He flew back to New York on Tuesday evening, posing for pictures with fans when his JetBlue flight landed at JFK Airport.
Boeheim said that he was back coaching eight days after surgery in December 2001. Calhoun told The Post that he was back coaching in 14 days.
“[Boeheim] and I were a lot older when we were diagnosed than Steve,” said Calhoun, who rang the opening bell on Wall Street on Friday. “A lot of younger guys get too caught up in what they’re doing and don’t go for an annual checkup or disregard the classic symptoms.
“Steve can serve as a great example to younger men. He went and got medical attention, which is the most important thing you can do.”
Those closest to Lavin were amazed at how he was able to put the diagnosis behind him and focus on all the tasks needed to get St. John’s back to prominence.
In addition to the coaching, Lavin made a huge impact in fundraising and scheduling.
Assistant coach Tony Chiles had dinner with Lavin on Thursday night at Phillippe Chow, one of the coaching staff’s favorite haunts, and described his boss as being in great spirits.
“If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know,” Chiles told The Post. “He’s a special guy. To be able to do all the things that he did, stay focused, really, it’s amazing.”
Boeheim and Calhoun said Lavin did not put himself in any jeopardy by waiting until after the season to begin treatment.
Boeheim, who has spoken privately with 20-30 coaches and numerous strangers about prostate cancer, said Lavin has treatment options ranging from surgery to radioactive seed implantation to new laser treatments.
“There are a lot of old wife’s tales about prostate cancer that need to be laid to rest,” Boeheim said. “There’s no reason why someone can’t have a complete recovery with no residual effects, none.
“No one wants to hear the word cancer, but this is a very treatable form,” he said. “The more I can talk about it and help to alleviate anyone’s concerns or answer some questions, I’m happy to do it.”