NEW YORK — Chris Mullin will be introduced as the new head coach at St. John’s during a press conference on Wednesday and is excited to take over at his alma mater.
The former St. John’s legend will earn at least $2 million annually, according to The New York Times.
“He’s going to be the next head coach at St. John’s and as a former player, I couldn’t be more happy,” Tarik Turner, a Big East analyst for Fox Sports 1 and a former St. John’s player, told SNY.tv Monday evening. “And the reason I’m excited is because this is someone who is the reason I came to St. John’s and most of my other teammates and past players decided to go to St. John’s because of the impact he had on the school and the Big East.
“I can’t think of a better mind and leader to lead the program back to prominence.”
Mullin, 51, has no head coaching experience and previously served as special advisor for the Sacramento Kings and general manager of the Golden State Warriors.
Some former celebrity hires such as this have worked, such as Fred Holberg at Iowa State, while others, like Isaiah Thomas at Florida International and Clyde Drexler at Houston, were abject failures. Knicks coach Derek Fisher, who never coached before this season, currently has the worst record in the NBA.
“This is the most popular choice ever at St. John’s,” legendary former St. John’s coach Lou Carnesecca told Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com. “We talked and you have to understand this is a big thing for Chris, a major, major step. He had a good thing going, where he could come and go as he wants. Now it’s a vocation [for Chris]. This is no longer a job, its a vocation.”
Mullin has yet to name his staff but various names have surfaced, including his brother Terrence Mullin; Iowa State assistant Matt Abdelmassih; Kentucky assistant Barry “Slice” Rohrssen, a close friend of Mullin’s; Arizona assistant Emmanuel “Book” Richardson; and Chicago Bulls assistant Ed Pinckney.
Richardson and Pinckney had not yet been contacted by Mullin as of Monday, sources said. Kentucky is playing in the Final Four on Saturday in Indianapolis, and Rohrssen may have a decision to make after Kentucky’s season ends.
Mullin will need a strong staff to help him adjust both to coaching and to recruiting, which is a non-stop job. (For a complete roadmap of what’s ahead on the recruiting trail, click here.)
“Knowing Chris the way I do, he’s going to take his time but he also understands that’s his first priority and he’s already thinking about it,” Turner said. “He’s already coming up with a plan and the big thing is he wants guys who can help him understand the culture of college basketball.”
Mullin and his staff can get out on the recruiting trail as soon as the weekend of April 10-12 and again April 24-26. There is a contact period April 17-23, and the late signing period begins April 15.
“He knows that, he knows that,” Turner said. “He’s ready to hit the ground running.”
The McDonald’s All-American Game is Wednesday night in Chicago and features nine uncommitted players. The Nike Hoop Summit is April 11 in Portland, Ore., and the Jordan Brand Classic is April 17 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
St. John’s parted ways with former coach Steve Lavin on Friday.
“It’s not a total rebuild because Coach Lavin brought the respectability back, but now Chris Mullin is a guy who can bring it to a higher level,” Turner said.
Former St. John’s guard Tarik Turner joins GEICO SportsNite to discuss the Red Storm’s hiring of Chris Mullin as the program’s new head coach. http://web.sny.tv/media/video.jsp?content_id=57969683
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