St. John’s has been turned down by enough coaching candidates — Billy Donovan, Paul Hewitt, and, indirectly, Seth Greenberg, who opted to sign an extension at Virginia Tech — that it only makes sense they finally approach someone whose interest is mutual. So according to the Post, St. John’s athletic director Chris Monasch will meet today with former UCLA coach and current ESPN analyst Steve Lavin, who’s reportedly interested in actually taking the job, should it be offered to him.
Sources tell the Post that Lavin’s always been on St. John’s list of candidates, though that list is pretty long: On Saturday, they interviewed Siena coach Fran McCaffery (who ultimately took the Iowa job), and have also spoken to Boston College’s Al Skinner. (Also rumored to be on this list: Cornell’s Steve Donahue and Harvard’s Tommy Amaker, while Rhode Island coach Jim Baron’s name has surfaced as well.) To the best of our knowledge, however, Lavin is the only candidate with a slapdash website supporting his hire. So that’s gotta count for something.
In other coaching news, Seton Hall hired Iona’s Kevin Willard, and though Iona, Siena, and Hofstra now have openings, poor Mike Rice — the Fordham grad whose Robert Morris team came thisclose to upsetting second-seeded Villanova in the NCAA Tournament’s first round — may end up staying right where he is.