De La Salle High School head coach Frank Allocco is “emerging as the leading candidate” to replace Mike Dunlap at St. John’s after back-to-back weekends of meetings with Johnnies head coach Steve Lavin, a source close to the process told SNY.tv.
Lavin expects to name a new coach within the next month after Dunlap was tabbed to coach the Charlotte Bobcats.
Lavin and Allocco, 58, met this past weekend in TriBeca and the De La Salle coach toured the St. John’s campus, met the coaching staff, the St. John’s brass and continued dialogue regarding the assistant opening.
The weekend before that, the two men met in San Francisco, where Lavin’s parents live.
A native of New Providence, N.J., Allocco has compiled a 413-52 record as head coach at De La Salle since 1997.
According to his Website, Allocco is the only coach in California state history to win a State Championship at two different schools (Northgate) and is second all-time in winning percentage.
Still, sources said Lavin is still considering Gerald Madkins, Earl Watson, Lane Odom, Tommy Abatemarco, Tim O’Toole and Paul Biancardi.