St. John’s Supporters Gather for “Sunday Supper with Looie”

QUEENS, N.Y. – Supporters of the Red Storm joined together at Russo's On The Bay for its annual men's basketball fundraising dinner, "Sunday Supper with Looie," celebrating the life and accomplishments of Hall of Fame Coach Lou Carnesecca. The midday celebration smashed attendance and money-raised records while generating excitement for the St. John's men's basketball program on Sunday afternoon.

With over 450 fans and supporters in attendance, the Red Storm raised a program-best $605,000 on the evening.

Following the cocktail reception, evening emcee Bruce Beck of NBC 4 New York welcomed the attendees with stories and facts about the program's hall of fame patriarch before St. John's University President Rev. Brian J Shanley, O.P., Vice President and Director of Athletics Ed Kull, and BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman for remarks about Coach Carnesecca, the state of college athletics and St. John's. Each speaker also gave thanks and praise to the crowd for their loyal support of the Red Storm.

"I still believe that athletics is worth the investment primarily because it changes the lives of those who play a sport and the coaches are the most important piece of that," Shanley said. "We could not do what we do at St. John's without the support of you in this room."

"Everybody needs to come home," Kull added. "We need all of our classmates back, we need all of our teammates back. … If we want to honor Looie for 100 years, let's make his house a challenging place to play. Let's make Madison Square Garden rock, let's make the BIG EAST what we want it to be. … We need the village to get bigger and bigger. We all love our alma mater, we all love this institution and we all love Lou Carnesecca and this basketball program. It's time to come home."

"Look up the word 'Carnesecca' in the dictionary and you'll see descriptors like tough, fiery, resilient and the phrase 'never back down,' Ackerman said. "We're standing tall [at the BIG EAST] because of legends, who understood what takes to be a mentor, a teacher, a tactical genius on the sidelines, a master motivator, a father figure, an example for others, a champion and a friend. Coach, our leaders and legends proudly include you.

After dinner, St. John's men's basketball Head Coach Rick Pitino and women's basketball Head Coach Joe Tartamella also reflected on the impact and the bridged connection Carnesecca has instilled in individuals across the last century.

"I've coached against Dean Smith, Rollie [Massimino], John Thompson, so many incredible coaches, and was close to John Wooden, but Looie had a quality that was different than all the coaches." Pitino said. "Looie had the quality of humility and the love of his players like no other coach. You knew why when you got to know him why the players loved him so much. … I will never be able to be Lou Carnesecca at St. John's, but I will be able to represent him in the right light."

"I've always looked at Coach Carnesecca as the great connector to the past and the present," Tartamella said. "He was always the unifier and always has been in the way he was able to connect with people and his players."

Beck, the longtime sports reporter for NBC 4 New York and former co-host of the "Lou Carnesecca Show," thanked all for attending once again before reading a message from Coach Carnesecca, who was unable to attend the event.

"Thank you, not just for your support today, but for all you have done for our program and university," Carnesecca said in a message read aloud on Sunday.

St. John's will open the 2024-25 campaign against Fordham inside Carnesecca Arena on Monday, Nov. 4.

St. John's University Athletics

St. John’s Supporters Gather for “Sunday Supper with Looie”

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