St. John’s is bringing back one of its own as its next head coach.
Both the New York Daily News and ESPN report that Chris Mullin has accepted the head coaching position of the Red Storm.
Mullin was a star for St. John’s in the ’80s and won three Big East Player of the Year awards at the school before going on to become an NBA Hall of Famer.
Mullin has worked in the front offices for the Warriors and Sacramento Kings, but this will be his first coaching job at any level. He replaces former UCLA head coach Steve Lavin, who was let go after five seasons on the job.
Because of his lack of coaching experience, Mullin is expected to hire a staff that will complement him. He also has spoken in the past about how recruiting New York players will be critical to the program’s success.
“St. John’s is a brand name and a legendary program,” Mullin told the Daily News the day before he was inducted into the school’s athletics Hall of Fame. “I still believe it is there in New York. Whether a kid preps out of town or not, the key is the kid with New York roots. There are plenty of players. The ones that see it would be something to win in New York need to recognize St. John’s as a place to do it.”
The Red Storm went 21-12 this season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to San Diego State. Their last notable season came under Mike Jarvis in 1999, when they had Ron Artest on the team and reached the Elite Eight. Prior to that, their most success came in the ’80s under famed coach Lou Carnesecca. Mullin will look to return the program to those glory days.
