Remembering Coach Lou Carnesecca ’43
Pictured: Lou Carnesecca with Jack Curran and Frank Rienzo; assorted photos from Carnesecca’s St. Ann’s Academy days; portrait courtesy of St. John’s University.
Archbishop Molloy High School mourns the passing of Mr. Lou Carnesecca (1925-2024) on November 30th at the age of 99. A hall of fame coach, an inspiring leader, and a friend to all, Mr. Carnesecca enjoyed a remarkable career highlighted by his passion for coaching, his respect for each player and colleague, his faith, and his signature contagious enthusiasm.
Mr. Carnesecca was born and raised in New York City in 1925. After graduating from St. Ann’s Academy in 1943, he served in the United States Coast Guard during World War II for three years. After returning home, he enrolled at St. John’s University, where he played basketball and baseball. As a student-athlete at St. John’s, he was a talented utility infielder, achieving a batting average over .300. Mr. Carnesecca notably played in St. John’s first College World Series in 1949. Just one year later, he returned to St. Ann’s Academy, where he taught health and civics in addition to beginning his storied coaching career. As St. Ann’s head coach, Mr. Carnesecca won two CHSAA City Championships in basketball (1952, 1958) and two in baseball (1950, 1955). After St. Ann’s Academy moved to Queens and became Archbishop Molloy High School in 1957, Mr. Carnesecca coached the Stanners for one more year before moving on to nearby St. John’s, where he served as assistant coach under the tutelage of head coach Joe Lapchick. This move paved the way for another legendary coach, Jack Curran, to begin forging his own path to success after succeeding Mr. Carnesecca as Molloy’s head basketball and baseball coach in 1958.
After succeeding Coach Lapchick in 1965, Mr. Carnesecca would go on to author an incredible coaching career at his college alma mater, all the while changing countless lives for the better. Mr. Carnesecca achieved a record of 526 wins and 200 losses over 24 seasons leading the university’s men’s basketball team. (’65-’70, ’73-’92). The Johnnies became mainstays in the playoffs, reaching the postseason every year under his leadership, including a Final Four appearance in 1985. Mr. Carnesecca’s time at St. John’s was also highlighted by international play, including tours in Spain and Yugoslavia, as well as running clinics in a many different countries. In 1970, Mr. Carnesecca entered the arena of pro ball, coaching the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association for three seasons.
Mr. Carnesecca is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Stanner Hall of Fame. He was voted National Coach of the Year in 1983 and 1985 by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and he is a three-time recipient of the Big East Conference Coach of the Year Award (1983, 1985, 1986). In 2004, St. John’s University’s Alumni Hall was renamed Carnesecca Arena, in recognition of the incredible impact of the legendary coach on the university.
Pictured left to right: Carnesecca’s senior portrait in 1943; Carnesecca’s faculty portrait at St. Ann’s Academy; Carnesecca at St. John’s University.
In a 2012 interview with MSG Varsity, Mr. Carnesecca spoke about his high school alma mater, now known as Archbishop Molloy High School. “The great tradition, the heritage Molloy has, I mean not only in athletics, which is unbelievable, but the academics have really blossomed. You can’t get into this place! I know I couldn’t! College coaches go after good kids – that’s the big thing. They come to Molloy for not only good athletes, but very good students as well. It’s amazing, the reputation this school has. It’s one of the great high schools in this country. You’re proud to be a Stanner.”
Molloy’s President, Richard Karsten ’81, shared the following statement: “As one of our school’s original lay faculty members, Coach Carnesecca set the tone for excellence on and off the court. His contributions to basketball at the high school, college, and pro levels changed the game, and he inspired others to coach and play with passion and honor. His leadership, loyalty, and faith truly exemplified the Stanner spirit in every way. The Molloy and St. John’s University communities will miss him, his wit, and his amazingly detailed stories of championship games over the decades. On behalf of everyone at Molloy, I extend my deepest condolences to Mr. Carnesecca’s family, friends, players, and colleagues. May he rest in peace.”
Mr. Carnesecca is survived by his wife of 73 years, Mary, and his beloved family – daughter Enes, son-in-law Gerard (Jerry), granddaughter Ieva and fiancé Frank, niece and nephew, Susan Chiesa, John Chiesa and his wife, Nancy – and his extended family and many friends.
Thanksgiving Liturgy & Alumni Reception
On November 27th, the Molloy community celebrated its annual Thanksgiving Liturgies! Students, staff, faculty, and alumni joined together in the Jack Curran Gym throughout the morning to give thanks as one family in a space we can all call home.
The celebrant of the Freshman/Sophomore Liturgy, Fr. Anthony Rosado, emphasized to the freshmen and sophomores that we can find gratitude in all aspects in our lives, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Fr. Joseph Franco ’93, celebrant of our second Liturgy of the day, emphasized to the juniors, seniors, and alumni the importance of giving thanks, and that God desires more than a relationship with us, but true presence with him. Seniors Amelia Volker ‘25 and Tiffany Esquen ’25 then closed the Liturgy by speaking to their classmates about the impact of Molloy’s recent food drive, and how the drive was a modern reflection of Jesus’s miracle of the loaves and fishes. With every student bringing in one food item each, a huge number of lives were positively affected this season!
The annual tradition of welcoming back our alumni continued, with over 100 alums reconnecting in the student cafeteria to eat chocolate chip cookies, drink hot cocoa, and catch up with friends and faculty members! The Thanksgiving Liturgy Alumni Reception is a wonderful embodiment of calling ourselves Stanners not for school, but for life. You can see a full photo gallery from the reception on our Flickr page (button below). Thank you to all who make this yearly Liturgy a special, wholesome, holiday event!
Support Molloy’s Christmas Toy Drive
After conducting a successful Thanksgiving Food Drive in November, we are inviting our community to support our Christmas Toy Drive! Campus Ministry will collect new toys, baby clothing, and other items for families at The Ronald McDonald House. RMDH helps provide shelter for families with children that are critically ill in local hospitals.
Please consider donating an item to the drive and help us spread Christmas cheer to families in need. Items will be collected for children of all ages (infant to teenager). Some suggested items include bath toys, educational toys, teethers, bottle sets, bibs, onesies, action figures, dolls, building blocks, magna tiles, arts and crafts, board games, card games, etc.
We will be accepting donations from December 9th through December 13th. Alumni and friends bringing items to Molloy can buzz in through our front entrance on Manton Street and then leave their donations with the security desk. Thank you for your charity this Christmas season!
Stanners Attend National Catholic Youth Conference
In November, several Molloy students journeyed to Long Beach, California for the National Catholic Youth Conference. A yearly celebration of thousands of young Catholics, the NCYC presents to students the Catholic church as true, beautiful, and desirable.
Each morning and evening, students heard speakers talk about common teen experiences while relating them to the journey of faith. Through personal testimony and plenty of music, each session served as an invitation to prayer and reflection through Adoration and Mass. During the day, students could pick any number of talks to attend, with topics ranging from “What Happens When My Faith Waivers” to “Saints Who Surfed.”
Ms. Haslbauer, Campus Minister for Service, shares, “Overall, the experience and encounter with one another over the 3 days, whether it was sharing a faith experience, chatting on a 45 minute line to get to Confession, or just having fun, was a blessing and a grace received!”
| Cross Country – Congratulations to Riley Devaney ’28, who ran the 5th fastest freshman time in Molloy history at the New York State Federation Championships at Bowdoin Park on November 23rd! | Full Results |
| Girls Varsity Swimming – The team’s undefeated season continues! Great job, Stanners! |
| Bowling – Varsity and JV Bowling both finished their regular seasons. Varsity finished undefeated, while JV finished 11-1. Both teams are headed to the BQ playoffs next week, each as the #1 seed. |
| Basketball – Most boys and girls teams started their seasons with home openers. On 11/30, Boys Varsity “B” kicked the season off with an 80-34 win against Renaissance High School, and followed that with another win vs. Iona Prep. Girls Basketball hosted a doubleheader vs. St. Francis Prep on 12/2 that saw JV come away with a 49-26 win. Boys Varsity Basketball will kickoff their season during a triple header tonight 12/6 as they face St. Mary’s High School. |
| Boys Basketball – Molloy will host the Tom Konchalski Classic Tournament on December 7th and 8th. Varsity “B” will play on 12/7 at 12:00pm, while Varsity “A” will play on 12/8 5:15pm. All are welcome! |
| Softball – Thank you to Varsity Softball, who ran a successful Toy Drive for Toys for Tots. |
Knoops ’80 Shares Results of 8 Years of Research into Aldine Press
Pictured L-R: the Aldine stemma; inscription on the new plaque that translates to: “Here in 1495, Aldo Manuzio founded the Aldine Press and gave immortal glory to Roman and Italic characters.”; Johannes Knoops at the unveiling of the new plaque and stemma in Venice.
Prof. Johannes M.P. Knoops ’80, an internationally renowned architect and professor in the Department of Interior Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology, shares the culmination of his extended research looking into the original location of the historically significant Aldine Press.
BACKSTORY: “Aldus Pius Manutius was a celebrated Renaissance humanist whose Aldine Press is credited with the invention of the Italic font, the preservation of numerous Latin and Greek classics, the first paperbacks, the codification of the semicolon, and many other achievements that remain with us to this day. The true first location of the Aldine Press in 1495 has been in contention ever since the Abbot Zenier erroneously placed a plaque in 1828 in his fervor to glorify famous Venetians.”
RESEARCH: “I initiated my research in 2016. Over the years this epic journey afforded me residencies to the Emily Harvey Foundation, the Cini Foundation, and the American Academy in Rome. It became my sabbatical project during which I was honored to receive a Fellowship to the Bogliasco Foundation. The research required skills beyond the humanities, such as mappings, architectural reconstructions, and digital walk-throughs. It led to a booklet published by Damocle Edizioni. This in turn allowed me to approach Venetian government officials to petition for a new plaque to celebrate the achievements of Manutius at its proper location.”
RESULT: “Permission was granted to the building’s owner by the Comune di Venezia in 2020. This was immediately followed by the pandemic and a lengthy interval. But on June 5, 2024, we ultimately unveiled a new plaque and inscription. Based on the Aldine Press’s stemma, my design was digitally cut from marble and now clarifies the true first location of the Aldine Press. To learn more about my journey you can visit this video on YouTube. Congratulations, Professor Knoops!”
’65 Alum Completes 500 Mile Pilgrimage in Spain
Pictured: Bill Schlageter ’65 and his son, David, who joined him for the last 180 miles of the pilgrimage. Photo taken at the Cathedral de Santiago.
Bill Schlageter ’65 recently shared his experience completing the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage: “The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage originating from multiple points in Europe, but ultimately terminating in Santiago, Spain. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims have traveled these trails over the last two centuries. Santiago is the burial location of St. James the Apostle. I chose to follow the Camino Frances trail, which starts in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and ends in Santiago de Compostela. I started my journey on September 25th, and 500+ miles later on October 31st I successfully arrived in Santiago. During my pilgrimage I met and walked with hundreds of pilgrims from all over the globe, from all walks of life, and from teenagers to people my age. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this adventure, but I found out quickly that this would be the most physically challenging experience I have ever attempted. However, it also proved to be very rewarding physically, mentally, and spiritually, and I made some great friends. The bottom line is never shy away from a challenge, but prepare yourself for it and embrace it. You will be surprised what you can accomplish!”
Congratulations to Jim Mahony ’74, who ran the 2024 NYC Marathon in 6 hours 15 minutes. This was Jim’s 42nd consecutive NYC Marathon! Jim’s best all-time NYC Marathon was 3:39 back in 1986. Pictured: Jim with his family, who celebrated with him at the finish line. Congratulations, Jim!
Thank you to the Class of 1983, who shared this photo from their “mini-reunion” at The Harrison restaurant in Floral Park on November 25th!
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Thomas A. Ulasewicz, Esq. ’66, who passed away on November 9, 2024. Thomas enjoyed a career in law, specializing in environmental law. He was employed by Fitzgerald Morris Baker Firth in Glen Falls at the time of his passing. He previously served as special assistant to the general counsel at the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, executive director of the NYS Adirondack Park Agency, and his work extended as far as the UN and Geneva, Switzerland. | Click Here for Memorial Page
We are saddened to share the passing of Christopher Dreizen ’96 after battling an illness. Please keep Christopher and his loved ones in your prayers during this difficult time. Visitation will take place on December 6th from 2pm-8pm at Scarpaci Funeral Home in Staten Island. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, December 7th at 10:00am at Our Lady Star of the Sea in Staten Island.
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Sherri M. O’Donohue (December 1, 2024), mother of Robert O’Donohue ’94 and Michael O’Donohue ’97, family to many more Stanners. | Click Here for Memorial Page
Please pray for the repose of the soul of Eleanor N. McEnerney (November 30, 2024), mother of Thomas McEnerney ’77 and Patrick McEnerney ’78. | Click Here for Memorial Page
We were recently informed of the passing of Joseph J. Rachis ’68 on August 17, 2024. Please keep Joseph and his loved ones in your prayers. | Click Here for Memorial Page
We were recently informed of the passing of Harry J. Walter ’53 on July 8, 2024. Please keep Harry and his loved ones in your prayers. | Click Here for Memorial Page
