St. John’s and Steve Lavin will meet again Tuesday afternoon
with the hope of finalizing a deal.
According to multiple sources, Lavin is expected —
barring a last-minute change of heart — to accept the
job to replace Norm Roberts.
The former UCLA head coach, who has been an analyst for ESPN
since he was fired in 2003, met with Red Storm athletic director
Chris Monasch on Monday, and sources told FOXSports.com that talks
will continue on Tuesday.
Lavin was 145-78 in his tenure at UCLA and went to the NCAA
tournament in six of his seven seasons. He is regarded as a strong
recruiter, but does not have any significant ties to the New York
area.
Lavin was fired after a 10-19 record in 2003.
St. John’s, after whiffing on a few candidates,
including Georgia Tech’s Paul Hewitt, is hoping to make a
splash with a big-name coach.
St. John’s fired Roberts after a six-year run in which
the Red Storm failed to make the NCAA tournament. The team will
have nine seniors on its roster next season and has a chance to get
to the Big Dance.
