Word hit the city barbershops and local playgrounds like a remake of the 1979 cult-classic movie, The Warriors. Chris Mullin is back and St. Johns fans just dont know to act.
The greatest player in St. Johns University basketball history has returned to the concrete jungle.
His mission is to make a rose grow and when he was balling, he had a legendary Tupac flow.
But Pac’s relevance doesn’t resonate with most new jack MC’s, so Mullins looking for Kendrick Lamar-type results and relevance as Red Storm Coach.
To get the real Queens, NY vibe and find out how the indigenous Red Storm community feels, I hit up Jason Vives (my brother from Rego Park).
This is what the streets are saying:
By @Mrvives
It doesnt matter how well he can or cannot coach for this endeavor. St. Johns needs a movement. So does the entire Big East. Hes clearly the best candidate to make the program relevant again. He’s also long shot with no prior coaching experience, but he’s also a godsend for New Yorker’s as a home grown, legendary talent. All Mullin has to be is competent.
Hes not being brought in to be Tex Winters. As a basketball lifer, being able to coach a bit should be the minimum for him. You and I can coach 12 wins out of a kid.
This isn’t a job that requires him to go to the Final Four in a year or two. That shouldnt be the standard by which we judge Mullins success. Especially early in his tenure. If St. Johns is putting all of its chips on the former “Redmen” legend, Brooklyn-born baller and three-time NCAA All-American with the Hall of Fame resume –then I would hope its for the long haul.
In time, these AAU programs should become Mullin’s lifeblood. His real job is making St. Johns University about NYC ball again. In doing that, he will raise the profile of the Big East and put the national spotlight back on the dismantled conference again. The coaching aspect is minorfor the first 4-5 years anyway. Then he can move to Athletic Director if he sucks that bad as a coach lol
And after he has done his part to re-establish SJU’s worth, value and roots as a coveted basketball program within the community, St. Johns can go out and get a real coach if need be. A seasoned vet.
This hire should be more about the program than coaching. So my answer to can he coach is: right now, probably not. And who cares?
