This marriage between Steve Lavin and St. John’s, the one that is enjoying the greatest honeymoon since Lou Carnesecca wed the “Little Program in Queens That Could,” almost never happened.
Lavin was close to taking the North Carolina State job in 2006. He left a meeting with then Wolfpack athletic director Lee Fowler ready to dot the “I’s” and cross the “T’s,” but first had to speak to his rabbi, the grand rebbe of college basketball, John Wooden, may he rest in peace.
The two settled in for breakfast and the conversation began. Lavin, UCLA’s coach for seven years until he was fired in 2003, did the talking. Wooden, winner of 10 NCAA titles, did the listening.
And then the Wizard of Westwood said: “Well, Steve, I think you’ve already made up your mind.”
Lavin called Fowler the next day and declined.
N.C. State wasn’t the place. For Lavin, it wasn’t the time.
“He wanted very badly to be back in coaching, to be around the game as a teacher and have those relationships with the players,” Lavin’s father, Cap, said earlier this season. “He had some concerns if the right job would be available.”
It was. Had Lavin accepted the N.C. State gig, he would never have experienced the euphoria he did yesterday in the Garden — never have known firsthand just how good it is to make it here.
With 11:55 left in what turned out be a shocking 93-78 upset of third-ranked Duke, Lavin, in white sneakers, practically sprinted to the top of the key to meet the Red Storm players he inherited from Norm Roberts. He waved his arms above his head, exhorting the St. John’s fans in the sellout crowd of 19,353 to be loud, be proud.
“At that moment it was wanting to jumper cable the crowd,” said Lavin.
It was Duke that needed jumper cables and smelling salts. As Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said after the game: “We had blank expressions on our faces.”
Lavin is now the face of the St. John’s program — the most recognizable one since Looie.
Carnesecca wore Chevron sweaters and Lavin wears designer suits.
Looie was the perfect coach in the 80’s and 90’s and now St. John’s seems to have found the perfect one going forward.
Before he beat Duke yesterday, he signed the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class and injected some Red Bull into the Red Storm’s fan base. This was the first sellout for a St. John’s game since 2003.
“People are excited again,” said athletic director Chris Monasch. “The attitude this year is very different.”
Lavin knew by his late teens he wanted to coach. He wrote letters to Krzyzewski, Bobby Knight and Gene Keady, who is now his special advisor.
“I tried to send over those letters at halftime, but I don’t think they reached him,” said Krzyzewski.
When Monasch reached out to Lavin through back channels it was like pheromones had been released into the air. Lavin saw the World’s Most Famous Arena, the City That Never Sleeps, the St. John’s tradition, the Big East.
And he felt that empty spot in his heart filled.
“I really enjoyed my seven years in broadcasting,” said Lavin. “People who know me know that. But participating as part of a team in the sport of basketball is as good as it gets.”
Yesterday was the best it’s been for the Johnnies since Marcus Hatten hit a free throw with no time remaining in 2003, giving the Red Storm its last win over Duke in its last sellout in the Garden.
“I thought he did a really good job at UCLA and that’s a difficult job,” said Krzyzewski. “He’s good.”
And he’s ours. St. John’s has Wooden to thank for that.