Lou Carnesecca – He Proved His Greatness in Quiet Act of Kindness

 

 

When I heard of the passing of basketball legend Lou Carnesecca, I did not think about his glorious run as head coach of St. John’s University’s basketball team for 24 years or his three-year stint as head coach of the New York Nets. It was a quiet act of kindness that proved the measure of his greatness, and I was fortunate to have experienced this in person and will never forget him or that moment.

My Initiation to College Teaching

Back in 1988, I was in my first year of my doctoral fellowship in the English department at St. John’s University. To say I was overwhelmed with my coursework is an understatement. I thought I had worked hard getting my undergraduate and master’s degree, but I had never experienced the level and intensity of the requirements to do well in doctoral courses.

Besides my academic work for my evening classes, I was required to teach courses during the day. I had experience as a middle school teacher for five years, but teaching English at the college level was at first very intimidating. As the fall semester moved along, I found my bearings and realized that teaching composition at the college level was very similar to what I had been doing before but just with increased expectations.

A Struggling Student

A student in one of my classes – let’s call him Kevin Jones – was struggling to say the least. He had failed a couple of quizzes, and his writing assignments were getting poor grades. I did ask him to come to me for extra help – I was also a tutor in the writing center – but he did not take advantage of this option. I was aware that he was on the basketball team because he had given me a paper with the dates that he would miss my class in November and December due to having games, and I realized that he was having a hard time juggling his academics and his sport.

A Coach Who Cared

At that time, I basically spent the whole day on campus because I was teaching during the day and taking classes in the evening. One afternoon I was in my cubicle – a small space I shared with another doctoral fellow in the basement of St John’s Hall – alternately marking papers and trying to do my readings for my classes. I heard a knock on my door, and I looked up to see Lou Carnesecca standing there wearing one of his colorful sweaters.

To say that I was shocked is not sufficiently describing the moment. A legend was standing in the doorway of my humble cubicle, and I dropped what I was doing and stood up. He asked in a soft voice, “May I come in?”

“Yes, of course, please sit down,” I said motioning to a chair next to my desk. I had not put two and two together at first – that Mr. Carnesecca was there about Kevin – because I was so awestruck by his presence.

After he sat down, Mr. Carnesecca said, “I’m here about Kevin Jones in your English class.”

My eyes must have opened wide and then I made the connection. I explained what was happening and that I gave Kevin a midterm warning that he was in danger of failing the class.

With great dignity and respect, Mr. Carnesecca said, “Professor Lana, I am not asking for anything special for Kevin, but I want to know what he can do to improve his work in your class.”

I explained that Kevin never came for extra help in the writing center, and that he had failed quizzes and his papers had been poorly written and received poor grades. I said that if he could put more effort into his work, Kevin’s grade would improve.

Mr. Carnesecca nodded his head as I spoke. When I was done speaking, he said, “I am just asking for you to give him a chance. I will speak to Kevin, and you should see a change in his efforts in your class.”

Of course, I thanked him as we stood up and shook hands. After Mr. Carnesecca left my cubicle, my hands were shaking. I had met a legend, and he proved in those few moments we were together that he deserved all the accolades he had received and then some.  A man of importance and fame, the coach had gone out of his way to visit me and try to help one of his players – because if Kevin continued in the direction he was going, he would fail my course and not be allowed to play for the team. In his own respectful and quiet way, Mr. Carnesecca was hoping to make a difference. 

A Changed Student

The next day, Kevin came into the writing center looking for help. We sat down and went over the next paper that was due in my class. I made some suggestions and pointed out a few grammatical errors. When the paper was due during our next class, Kevin handed it in and he got a B. He also started not just passing quizzes but doing very well on them. For the rest of the semester, Kevin came to the writing center and did well on his remaining papers. He did extremely well on his final exam, and he earned a great and well-deserved final grade. 

I have no idea what Lou Carnesecca said to Kevin, but Kevin turned his semester around in my class. For those of you to have been lucky enough to watch him coach, Lou Carnesecca was all over the place on the court’s sideline – making gestures and audible comments during games, displaying energy and passion. He obviously loved his players as much as he loved the game, and he is a basketball legend and a New York City icon.

I know that Kevin graduated from St. John's but did not go on to a career in basketball. I saw him once on the subway on his way to a job in Manhattan. Maybe the story would have been better if he played for the Knicks, but Kevin seemed very happy to have played basketball for St. John's and grateful to the coach who wore the colorful sweaters who quietly made that happen.  

A Beloved Coach Will Be Missed

I have no doubt that Lou probably helped many Kevins over the course of his career both on the court and in the classroom if they needed help. Please watch the video, and you will see how fondly his former players and fellow coaches speak about him. I am sure that there is an ethereal basketball court up in heaven waiting for him where he be welcomed. Rest in peace, Lou Carnesecca.