Coast Guard History
Frequently Asked Questions
Lou Carnesecca
Born: 1925
Born 5 January 1925 in New York, NY, he served in the
U.S. Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946. He graduated from St. John’s
University in Jamaica, Queens, NY and later returned to serve as head
basketball coach from 1965 through 1970 and again from 1973 through 1992.
His record at St. John's was 526 wins and 200 losses. He led every one
of his St. John's teams to the postseason (18 NCAAs, six NITs) and compiled
a 40-34 postseason record. He had eighteen 20-win seasons at St.
John's and averaged 22 wins a year. Under Carnesecca, St. John's won
17 Lapchick Memorial Tournament Championships and eight ECAC Holiday
Festival crowns. On 2 February 1991 he became the 30th coach in
history to win 500 games and 11th among active coaches. He was twice
voted National Coach of the Year by the USBWA and the NABC (1983, 1985).
He coached St. John's to the 1989 NIT championship over St. Louis University
and was named Big East Conference Coach of the Year (1983, 1985, 1986).
He compiled a 112-65 record in Big East competition, won a regular season
crown once and tournament championships in 1983 and 1986. His 1985 St.
John's team advanced to the Final Four. The 1979 and 1991 teams
competed in NCAA Regional Finals. He was named Kodak NIT Man of the
Year (1985) and Metropolitan Coach of the Year five times (1970, 1978, 1983,
1985, 1986). Carnesecca also served as the head coach of the New York Nets
of the American Basketball Association from 1970-1973. During this
tenure he led the Nets to the 1972 ABA finals. He is also enshrined in New
York City Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Basketball
Hall of Fame on 11 May 1992.
** Information obtained from the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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