St. John's announced Friday that it mutually parted ways with coach Steve Lavin after five seasons. Where will the storied program look next for its leader?
Departed: Lavin. He went 92-72 in five seasons at St. John's, including 2-2 in his abbreviated 2011-12 season, when he missed most of the year amid treatment for prostate cancer. Lavin went to the NCAA tournament twice (the first time with mostly former coach Norm Roberts' players), but never got the program to the second weekend. St. John's last made the Sweet 16 in 1998-99, when it went as far as the Elite Eight in Mike Jarvis' first season as the Red Storm's coach.
Program situation: St. John's was competitive for most of Lavin's tenure, though Friday's news wouldn't have taken place if he had met the expectations internal stakeholders have for this program. There are resources here, and the reconstituted Big East is winnable, but it has been a long time since St. John's was viewed as a top-shelf program by program observers -- or recruits. The Red Storm were senior-dominated in 2014-15, and if Chris Obekpa and Rysheed Jordan don't come back, the new coach could be looking at a rebuilding situation.
Realistic candidates
Danny Hurley, Rhode Island: Hurley is 83-72 in five seasons with Wagner and Rhode Island, winning 23 games and just missing the NCAA tournament with URI this season. Hurley is a Jersey City native with a strong knowledge of local recruiting -- although New York City's high school talent is not what it used to be. If brother Bobby Hurley, the coach at Buffalo, wards off advances from DePaul, he could be a candidate, too. There's a scenario where the Hurley brothers could be coaching against each other in the same league next season, which would be fun.
