St. John’s University held a funeral Mass on Friday at St. Thomas More Church to honor the life of former men’s basketball coach, Lou Carnesecca. Carnesecca, a 1950 graduate of St. John’s and the winningest coach in the men’s basketball program history died on November 30 at 99.
Family, friends and former players came together to honor Carnesecca, affectionately known as “Looie” by the St. John’s community, with many sharing the ways he touched countless lives through his generous and vibrant nature.
Billy Schaeffer, a 1973 graduate from St. John’s, delivered a moving eulogy to the mourning congregation.
“I was a New York City kid and [Carnesecca] was a real New Yorker,” Schaeffer began, setting the tone with a touch of humor and admiration. “Raspy voice included. Coach’s passion was an inspiration for me.”
As Schaeffer continued, he painted a vivid picture of Carnesecca’s character.
“He was a warm, gracious [and] humble man with a great personality and terrific sense of humor,” he continued. “He was a worldwide figure. He was bigger than life.”
Transitioning from personal anecdotes to life lessons, Schaeffer shared the philosophy Carnesecca lived by — a code of three simple yet profound rules that lead to a “successful life.”
“Number one, never have a large hat size. That means be humble,” he explained, invoking smiles from the congregation.
“Number two, always be there for people. [Carnesecca] would never turn anyone away, always greeting people with a big smile,” Schaeffer said, his voice warm with recollection.
“Number three, never have short arms. Always be generous in any way you can,” he added, capturing the essence of Carnesecca’s temperament.
Schaeffer concluded his eulogy by sharing a personal memory, encapsulating the late coach’s legacy.
“My lasting and cherished memories of Coach will be a man sitting at his kitchen table in the twilight of his years, laughing, joking and having a wonderful time retelling great stories about the thing he loved: basketball,” he said.
Following the Mass, St. John’s basketball alumni reflected on their relationships with Carnesecca.
Members of the University’s 1985 Final Four run Chris Mullin, Mark Jackson, Bill Wennington and Walter Berry spoke to the media about “Looie’s” impact.
Mullin, the program’s all-time leading scorer, remembered Carnesecca from his adolescent years.
“I met [Carnesecca] when I was 11 years old,” he said. “He was always gracious, very humble. He won with class and lost with grace. He was always there for me, honest and direct, but also with care and love.”
Discussing his first interaction with Carnesecca, Jackson recalled being in awe.
“I remember Coach sitting there and his presence in the gym [was] almost like a spotlight was on him,” he said. “From that moment on, I wanted to be a member of the St. John’s basketball team.”
The anchor of Carnesecca’s most successful squad, Wennington described his personal growth under the legendary coach.
“He got kids off the street from the city to come and play here and molded them into men and taught us life lessons,” Wennington said. “[He] made us better basketball players, but [also] made us better people and better men.”
In a sentimental moment, Berry emotionally illustrated his relationship with Carnesecca.
“Lou loved all these guys,” he said, referencing all former players in the congregation. “He was like a father figure to a lot of the guys that played at St. John’s. And that made the difference when you got a father figure because I didn’t have a father figure, who stepped in and became a father figure.”
The University has announced plans for multiple tributes to Carnesecca throughout December and January, beginning this Saturday when the men’s team plays Kansas State at 11:30 a.m.
To view the full funeral liturgy, click here.
