Steve Lavin Introduced As Head Coach At St. John's

The speculation is now official: Steve Lavin is the new head coach at St. John's. Lavin, who occupied the same role at UCLA for seven seasons (from 1996-2003), was introduced on Tuesday.

"Today is the start of a new era in the venerable history of St. John's basketball," [Director of Athletics Chris] Monasch said. "Steve brings the skill set and persona that we feel gives us a chance to compete at the highest level in the BIG EAST. Since Coach Lavin was unveiled as a candidate, you could feel the excitement throughout the city. St. John's is poised to recapture its legacy as New York's college team."

While at UCLA, Lavin took the Bruins to the NCAA Tournament in six consecutive seasons, and finished with an overall record of 145-78.

"This is an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to return to the sidelines coaching college basketball at a school like St. John's that has such tradition and heritage in terms of the history of basketball," Lavin said. "Then you add the academic dimension, as well as New York City and Madison Square Garden, it's as good as it gets.