Replacing Mike Dunlap

With Steve Lavin’s absence last year, St. John’s saw the importance of having a good assistant coach. Luckily for the Johnnies, they had Mike Dunlap to run the show while Lavin was gone. Now that Dunlap is on his way to the Bobcats, Lavin is working on finding a new man for the job.

The coach that may replace Dunlap comes as a surprise to Steve Lavin more than anybody. De La Salle High School (California) coach Frank Allocco is currently the top candidate for the job. The shocker is that Allocco was originally on Lavin’s radar before he even hired Dunlap two years ago.

Allocco has an overall record of 413-52 during his time at De La Salle. He has also compiled a stunning 216-6 record in league play.

While in California last week, Lavin bumped into Allocco, where he jokingly brought up the fact that St. John’s was looking for a new assistant. Allocco, however, decided he was willing to consider the offer from Lavin this time around, and the two have recently met in New York to discuss things.

Allocco is just one of many coaches on the St. John’s radar. ESPN Recruiting Expert Paul Biancardi is also a candidate. He had previously coached at Wright State. Also joining the search is former Lou Carnesecca assistant Tom Abatemarco, who is currently an assistant at Colorado. Rounding out the party is Tim O’Toole who is currently a radio analyst for the Red Storm on Bloomberg Radio.

Whichever direction St. John’s decides to go with the choice, one thing is for sure: Steve Lavin will pick the man that will help his team win the most games. And if the unfortunate situation comes about where Lavin can not coach, it is imperative that the assistant is capable of leading a team.

We will continue to keep you updated as the coaching search continues.