If Chris Mullin is indeed out at St. John’s, here’s a look at several possible candidates to replace him:
Bobby Hurley
The two-time NCAA champion and former first-round pick knows St. John’s athletic director Mike Cragg from his Duke days, and has reached three NCAA Tournaments in six seasons as a head coach. He has recruited well and his name would carry weight in recruiting circles in the northeast. He did earn $2.3 million this year, so St. John’s would have to pay big money to lure him away from Arizona State. But sources believe he is the Red Storm’s top choice.
Tim Cluess
Cluess played for Lou Carnesecca at St. John’s from 1979-81 before transferring to Hofstra, and his relationship with the school has been described as “frosty.” He has won at a high level at Iona, reaching six NCAA Tournaments in nine years, going 199-108, but he has a prohibitive buyout and is 60 years old.
Jon Scheyer
Like Hurley, he knows Cragg well from their Duke days together, and has worked under Coach Mike Krzyzewski for five years. An NCAA champion as a player, Scheyer has helped Duke recruit at an elite level, but has no head-coaching experience.
Rick Pitino
A long shot considering his off-court troubles, Pitino would be a blockbuster move for a variety of reasons. He was fired by Louisville on Oct. 2, 2017, and has been coaching in Greece. Pitino, 66, has won two national titles, though the second at Louisville was vacated, and has reached seven Final Fours. But his career has been dotted by controversy. He and former Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich were implicated in a “pay to play” scandal regarding former five-star recruit Brian Bowen, and there was also the sex scandal in which there were allegations of escorts entertaining players and recruits in exchange for cash.
Mark Jackson
It’s unlikely St. John’s would follow Mullin with another former great, but Jackson does have experience as a coach unlike Mullin, though it was in the NBA with the Warriors from 2011-14. The one-time Knick currently works as an NBA analyst with ESPN.