Skip to content

Report: Chris Mullin expected to be coaching candidate at St. John's

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Steve Lavin's office chair hasn't even cooled off yet, and already some serious game-changing names are being floated as potential replacements.

Lavin and St. John's mutually parted ways Friday, even though they had reportedly been close to finalizing an extension Thursday. Though the move was surprising, the rumor mill was quick to heat up with potential replacements, like Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley, Manhattan boss Steve Masiello or Minnesota's Richard Pitino.

The biggest name floated comes from Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv, who reports NBA legend Chris Mullin is expected to be a leading candidate for the job.

Mullin's basketball resume is nearly unmatched, even without any formal coaching experience.  He was a three-time Big East Player of the Year with St. John's in the 1980s, won two Olympic gold medals, including one with the Dream Team, made five NBA All-Star teams, and has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame twice, once for the Dream Team and once as an individual.

Since retiring in 2001, Mullin has spent time as a broadcaster and an executive. He was executive vice president of basketball operations for the Golden State Warriors and then jumped to the Sacramento Kings, where he works in an advisory role. That role saw him rumored as a potential head coach for the franchise and recently saw him taking on additional responsibility in support of the coaching staff.

While he may be thin on coaching experience, he certainly has the name power and industry connections to theoretically be a strong recruiter. He's also the school's most famous basketball product, so if he's interested, the Red Storm would probably love the publicity boost Mullin could provide.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox