St. John’s Icon Lou Carnesecca passed away at 99 on Saturday, November 30, 2024, following a minor illness before his demise.
Luigi P. Carnesecca was an American men’s college basketball coach at St. John’s University. He also coached professionally, leading the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association (ABA).
Lou’s coaching career lasted from 1950 to 1992. In 1983 and 1985, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association selected him as the National Coach of the Year.
Highlights
- Lou Carnesecca, former St. John’s University basketball coach, passed away at 99 on November 30, 2024.
- Carnesecca’s distinct facial change was possibly due to his aging condition or skin disorder, rosacea.
- Lou Carnesecca suffered six weeks of severe flu in 1985, which caused his vocal impairments and damage to the Larynx.
The legendary college basketball coach passed away on November 30, 2024, at 99, a few days before his 100th birthday, which was on January 5.
St. John’s University mentioned that the family was notified that Carnesecca passed away in the hospital surrounded by loved ones. He suffered a minor illness due to aging near his demise.
Lou Carnesecca is survived by his wife Mary, whom he was married to for 73 years, his daughter Enes, and his son-in-law Gerard “Jerry” Frunzi.
Lou Carnesecca’s Distinctive Appearance Of Face Possiby Due To Health Issues Of Aging
The former St. John’s University basketball coach, Lou Carnesecca, was widely known for his sense of humor and his signature sweaters.
He was loved and respected by college and professional basketball fans, who were equally concerned about his facial features and structures in his later life.
In the 1990s, when the coach was in his elderly era, fans noticed red blotches on his pasty white face.
"What a wonderful day it is for me"
— SNY (@SNYtv) October 23, 2021
Lou Carnesecca gets his own statue at St. John's: pic.twitter.com/lLZZFGH2ER
One Chicago Tribune report from 1885 states that Lou Carnesecca fell ill with the flu while coaching at St. John’s University.
During that time, he was sick for six weeks, and his vocal cords were severely impaired, impacting his ability to speak normally.
Lou typically spoke softly. However, his illness made his voice a horse, and some reported that he sounded like the godfather with laryngitis.
Moreover, no specific medical details regarding his skin conditions and facial changes were documented.
Some fans state it might be due to skin conditions like Rosacea, spider veins, or other skin disorders.
However, others indicated that his distinct different face is high because of his aging. He lived for 99 years, and human aging started around the 50s and 60s.
Lou Carnesecca Immensly Contributed To American College Basketball Despite His Health Hazards
Lou Carnesecca was born on January 5, 1925, in New York City, US. He was the only child of Alfredo and Adele Carnesecca, Italian immigrants.
During World War II, he served three years in the U.S. Coast Guard on a troop transport in the Pacific theater.
In 1950, at the age of 25, Lou Carnesecca landed his first job as a coach at his high school, St. Ann’s, and joined St. John’s, his alma mater, in 1965.
In Memoriam of Lou Carnesecca (1925-2024) pic.twitter.com/wpSon2v9k2
— St. John's Men’s Basketball (@StJohnsBBall) December 1, 2024
While at retirement in 1992, Lou Carnesecca was already 66 year-old. In a conference in February 1985, when he was 60, news reports stated that Lou looked physically terrible.
His leg seemed weak, and he soon took the first available seat. During his speech, the former coach said,
I don`t even know if I`ll ask God to give me another year like this one,” If I were to stop coaching tomorrow, I`ll say, `Hey, my cup is pretty filled.”
Lou Carnesecca
Lou Carnesecca is known for his selfless love for basketball and dedication to his career. Remembering his legacy, broadcaster and reporter John Fanta on his Twitter writes,
You cannot tell the story of college basketball — the story of the Big East — the story of St. John’s University — without talking about a man who could be identified by simply saying his first name… Looie.
John Fanta
Additional Information
- Lou Carnesecca’s funeral visitation is scheduled for Thursday, December 5, 2024, at Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home. The funeral mass will be on December 6 at St. Thomas More Church, St. John’s University, and will be live-streamed.
- Lou Carnesecca’s estimated net worth was around $5 million at his demise. His wealth was accumulated mostly from his coaching career.
- Lou Carnesecca is also a longtime announcer for the USA Network’s coverage of the yearly NBA drafts of the 1980s.
