“[Cluess]would walk from New Rochelle to Queens tomorrow,” influential St. John’s alum Mike Repole said Wednesday on Mike Francesa’s show. “Cluess met with St. John’s, he said the meeting went great, he was telling people his plan for players,” he added. “This is his dream job. At every single level, this guy’s been a winner. Iona’s been to more NCAA Tournaments in the last 20 years than St. John’s.” Cluess played at St. John’s and Hofstra and is 297-131 (.694) as a head coach. He has taken Iona to six NCAA Tournaments in nine years, including the last four but has yet to win an NCAA Tournament game. Iona is often a bottom-tier seed because it plays in the MAAC.Live look at every coach @StJohnsBBall has approached in this search. pic.twitter.com/RB91PJZ728
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) April 18, 2019
“We are extremely proud of Tim Cluess and how he represents our program,” Iona AD Matthew Glovaski said in a statement. “He has elevated Iona men’s basketball and put us into the national spotlight on an annual basis and we are thankful for all of his hard work and dedication. We look forward to continued success with Tim Cluess as the leader of our basketball program.”
“The unprecedented success of Iona men’s basketball under Tim Cluess’ leadership – both academically and athletically – is remarkable,” said President Joseph E. Nyre. “Tim Cluess is an incredible coach and person and we look forward to his continued leadership, continued growth of the men’s basketball program and his ability to Fight the Good Fight.”
Meantime, the clock is ticking at St. John’s. The NCAA late signing period began Wednesday and the first live recruiting period is April 26-28. St. John’s has already lost several players from its roster, including juniors Shamorie Ponds and Justin Simon, who declared for the NBA Draft, while freshman Bryan Trimble and sophomore L.J. Figueroa have entered the transfer portal. Class of 2019 junior college recruits Cam Mack and Valdir Manuel have both re-opened their recruitments. “They need to make a hire before Easter weekend,” one source said. Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter And like ZAGS on Facebook