RIP Lou Carnesecca - A Coaching Legend Who Helped Turn The Big East Into The Best College Basketball Conference In America

I know people love to talk about the old days and when things were better which basically is just whenever you grew up and remember the most. For those in the college basketball world the better time is when the Big East had a list of coaches like Lou Carnesecca. A beloved legend who helped turn the Big East into the best conference in America while leading St. John's to a Final Four and helping shape northeast basketball. 

Think about when Louie was coaching at St. John's. You had guys like Rick Pitino at Providence, Jim Calhoun at UConn, John Thompson at Georgetown, Rollie Massimino at Nova and even PJ Carlesimo at Seton Hall. Personalities all over the place and perhaps none of them embraced Big East basketball more than Louie. He was New York basketball. He lived and breathed St. John's basketball, the same college he went to and played baseball. Perhaps none of it can be summed up more than the Louie sweater game: 

In terms of dudes who could pull off a sweater it's:

1. Louie Carnesecca

2. Mr. Rogers

That's the list. 

Need St. John's to remember him correctly and have Pitino coach in a sweater and use a sweater patch for Louie. It is fitting that this is their next game:

The personality of Louie along with the fact he never had a losing record helped build the Big East. He should be talked about in the legendary status that we see with so many others. He was college basketball, helped make St. John's a major player and did it in his own style. RIP to a legend.