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.
Chris Mullin: He is St. John's best-known alum and has spent time in the front office of both the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. He has no experience on a college bench, but bringing back Mullin would undoubtedly galvanize some of the fan base.
Steve Masiello, Manhattan: Despite the controversy surrounding his aborted move to South Florida after last season, Masiello has won 44 games and gone to two NCAA tournaments the past two years. He can clearly coach and has strong recruiting ties to the area.
Tim Cluess, Iona: He played at St. John's under Lou Carnesecca from 1978 to 1981 (he finished his career at Hofstra) and has done a nice job at Iona (118-54 in five seasons, including two NCAA tournaments). It would be surprising if Cluess didn't get at least a courtesy interview.
Bob McKillop, Davidson: St. John's targeted the Queens native last time around, and nothing he has done at Davidson in the past five years would make him a weaker candidate. The down side is that he's 64.
Long-shot candidates
Mark Jackson: Jackson is another former St. John's standout who might garner interest, and the current ESPN analyst would bring three years' worth of head coaching experience with him from his time at the helm of the Golden State Warriors. I'd be shocked if he had serious interest, though.
Shaka Smart, VCU: Hiring Smart would be a boon for St. John's, and he's probably on the school's dream list. But if Smart has resisted overtures from seemingly more stable programs in recent years, it would be shocking to see him jump ship for a middle-of-the-pack Big East job.
My choice
Danny Hurley or Masiello: It's just a matter of time until somebody snaps up Hurley, the 42-year-old former Seton Hall guard, and given his New York ties, this feels like it would be a decent match. At this time next year, Hurley might be unattainable for a school with the profile of St. John's. Masiello, meanwhile, has proven he can coach, recruit and how to get things done in New York.