Steve Lavin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the Montanan politician, see Steve Lavin (politician).
Steve Lavin
Headshot from Coach Lavin of St. John's University 2010.jpg
Lavin in 2010
Biographical details
Born (1964-09-04) September 4, 1964 (age 57)
San Francisco, California
Playing career
1983–1984San Francisco State
1985–1987Chapman
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1988–1991Purdue (assistant)
1991–1996UCLA (assistant)
1996–2003UCLA
2010–2015St. John's
Head coaching record
Overall226–133
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Pac-10 regular season (1997)
Awards
Pac-10 Coach of the Year (2001)

Stephen Michael Lavin[1] (born September 4, 1964) is an American broadcaster for Fox Sports, CBS Sports and Pac-12 Network. Lavin served as head coach of two storied college basketball programs - most recently St. John's University in New York City, and previously UCLA.

In eleven full seasons as a head coach, Lavin had led teams to ten postseason appearances, highlighted by eight NCAA Tournament berths, an Elite Eight ('97), five NCAA Regional Semifinals ('97, '98, '00, '01, '02) and nine campaigns of twenty or more wins.

Early life[]

Lavin was born on September 4, 1964 in San Francisco. He was raised in Marin County and attended Ross Grammar School before his time at Sir Francis Drake High School in San Anselmo, California, where he was a member of the basketball team that won the 1982 California state championship with a 34-0 record.

Lavin initially attended San Francisco State University, where he played on the basketball team for two years. He transferred to Chapman University, from which he graduated in 1988 with a bachelor's degree in communications.[2]

Lavin's coaching career began in 1988 when he was hired as an assistant by Purdue head coach Gene Keady. After three years on the Boilermaker staff, Lavin returned to California when UCLA head coach Jim Harrick hired him as a Bruins assistant in 1991.

Prior to becoming head coach at UCLA, Lavin was an assistant coach on the Bruins' staff for five years, including the 1995 national championship team that finished with a 32-1 record.[2]

UCLA[]

Shortly before the 1996 season, UCLA fired Jim Harrick for issues related to violations at a recruiting meal.[3] Lavin was the assistant on staff with the longest tenure at UCLA and was selected as interim head coach.

Later that season on February 11, 1997, with the Bruins tied for first place in the Pac-10 with an 8–3 record, UCLA removed the "interim" tag from Lavin's title and formally named him as its 11th head coach. The Bruins then won their next 11 games en route to the Pac-10 title, before being eliminated by the Minnesota Gophers in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final.

Notable Lavin achievements at UCLA:

  • During the period 1997 - 2002, Lavin's Bruins compiled nine consecutive overtime victories. These included victories over Arizona, Cincinnati (2002 NCAA second round double overtime victory over No. 1 West Region seed), Kentucky, and Stanford (then ranked No 1).[4]
  • In his time at UCLA, from 1996 to 2003, he compiled a record of 145–78.
  • From 1989 to 2002 as an assistant and head coach, Lavin participated in 13 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
  • During Lavin's tenure as a head coach, he was one of only two coaches in the country to lead a team to five NCAA Regional Semifinals (Sweet 16's) in six seasons - the other coach being Duke's Mike Krzyzewski.
  • Lavin's record at UCLA in the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament was 10-1. His winning percentage (90.9%) in the first two rounds is second only to Dean Smith in NCAA Tournament history.
  • Lavin is the only college coach to have defeated the No. 1 team in the country in four consecutive collegiate seasons: Stanford in 2000 and 2001, Kansas in 2002 and Arizona in 2003.
  • Lavin guided UCLA to six consecutive seasons of 20 or more wins, as well as six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.[5]
  • As head coach at UCLA, Lavin and his staff recruited and signed the No. 1 rated recruiting class in the country in 1998 and 2001.[citation needed] Lavin signed seven McDonald's High School All-Americans.
  • Thirteen of Lavin's former UCLA players became roster members of NBA teams: Trevor Ariza, Matt Barnes, Baron Davis, Dan Gadzuric, Ryan Hollins, Jason Kapono, Earl Watson, Jerome Moiso, Charles O'Bannon, Jelani McCoy, Toby Bailey, Dijon Thompson, and J.R. Henderson.

In March 2003, following Lavin's first losing season at UCLA (10–19), Lavin was relieved of his duties as head coach.

Broadcasting career[]

Lavin began his broadcasting career in 2003, soon after being fired from UCLA, when he signed a multi-year deal with ABC and ESPN. For seven years he made regular appearances on ESPN College GameNight and provided color commentary alongside his partners Brent Musburger and Dave O'Brien at prime-time college games around the country. Lavin also contributed to ESPN coverage on the NBA draft.

After being fired by St. John's Lavin joined the Fox Sports, CBS Sports and Pac-12 Network broadcasting teams as a college basketball and NBA analyst.

St. John's University[]

In 2010, Lavin was hired as the head men's basketball coach at St. John's University. During Lavin's tenure, three of his teams earned 20 or more wins including two NCAA appearances.

Other than Mike Jarvis, Lavin was the only St. John's head coach since Lou Carnesecca to have achieved three 20 win seasons. Although to be fair there was only one head coach during that period, and that was Norm Roberts.

In Lavin's first year, he coached the Red Storm to a 21-12 record. The 21 wins were St. John's highest total since the 2002-03 season and its NCAA tournament appearance was the first since 2002.

Lavin inherited a team that finished in 13th place in the Big East Conference in 2009-10. The next year the same players finished at 12-6. A jump of similar magnitude had previously occurred only one other time in Big East Conference history.

The Red Storm finished the 2011 season ranked 18th in the Associated Press Top 25, marking the first time it qualified for the postseason as a ranked team since 2000-01. The Red Storm posted a 7-1 record at Madison Square Garden and saw its home attendance climb by 38.1 percent, marking the fourth-largest increase in NCAA Division I men's basketball.

Lavin underwent treatment for cancer on October 6, 2011, consequently only coaching four games in the 2011-12 season as his doctors modified his schedule during recovery. [[6]

In 2012-13, Lavin's third year as head coach, St. John's finished with a 17-16 overall record. The Red Storm received an NIT bid, and earned a victory at the buzzer at St. Joseph's before falling on the road to Virginia in the next game.

In the 2013-14 season, Lavin led the Red Storm to a 20-13 record finishing conference play in a three-way, 3rd place tie that resulted in an invitation to the NIT, where they were humiliated by Robert Morris.

In 2014-15, Lavin led St. John's to a 21-12 record and a second NCAA tournament appearance.

Almost immediately after the season ended, on March 27, 2015, Lavin was fired. Thereafter, he returned to his role as a college basketball TV analyst in studio and in the booth for games.[7]

Awards/honors[]

  • 1997 – International Inspiration Award from the Hugh O'Brien Youth Foundation (HOBY)
  • 1998 – Chapman University Alumnus of the Year (also serves on Board of Governors at Chapman University)
  • 2001 - Pac-10 Coach of the Year
  • 2005 – Distinguished Alumni award from the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts from Chapman University
  • 2011 - District II Coach of the Year [1]

NBA players coached[]

Lavin has coached 17 players who went on to play in the NBA. During one stretch, from 1997 through 2006, Lavin had a player chosen in nine of ten consecutive NBA Drafts.

UCLA[]

Draft Year Player Name Round Pick Team
1997 Charles O'Bannon (Sr.) 2nd Round 31st Overall Detroit Pistons
1998 Jelani McCoy (Jr.) 2nd Round 33rd Overall Seattle SuperSonics
1998 Toby Bailey (Sr.) 2nd Round 45th Overall Los Angeles Lakers (traded to Phoenix)
1998 J.R. Henderson (Sr.) 2nd Round 56th Overall Vancouver Grizzlies
1999 Baron Davis (So.) 1st Round 3rd Overall Charlotte Hornets
2000 Jerome Moiso (So.) 1st Round 11th Overall Boston Celtics
2001 Earl Watson (Sr.) 2nd Round 40th Overall Seattle SuperSonics
2002 Dan Gadzuric (Sr.) 2nd Round 34th Overall Milwaukee Bucks
2002 Matt Barnes (Sr.) 2nd Round 46th Overall Memphis Grizzlies (traded to Cleveland)
2003 Jason Kapono (Sr.) 2nd Round 31st Overall Cleveland Cavaliers
2005 Dijon Thompson (Sr.) 2nd Round 54th Overall New York Knicks (traded to Phoenix)
2006 Ryan Hollins (Sr.) 2nd Round 50th Overall Charlotte Bobcats
2006 Cedric Bozeman (Sr.) N/A N/A Undrafted (signed with Atlanta in 2006)

St. John's[]

Draft Year Player Name Round Pick Team
2011 D.J. Kennedy (Sr.) N/A N/A Undrafted (signed with Cleveland in 2012)
2012 Maurice Harkless (Fr.) 1st Round 15th Overall Philadelphia 76ers (traded to Orlando)
2014 JaKarr Sampson (So.) N/A N/A Undrafted (signed with Philadelphia in 2014)
2015 Sir'Dominic Pointer (Sr.) 2nd Round 53rd Overall Cleveland Cavaliers (never signed a contract)

Philanthropy[]

Lavin, along with his wife, Mary Ann, has participated in and been involved with numerous organizations and charities throughout Lavin's coaching career. Such charities include the Jimmy V Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation, United Service Organization, Special Olympics, City of Hope, Coaches vs. Cancer, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, and Wounded Warriors.

In an October 2010 ceremony with Anthony Butler, Executive Director of St. John's Bread & Life, and Steve Starker of BTIG Brokerage, the Lavins made a $35,000, multi-year pledge to aid New York City's homeless and hungry. The Lavins were honored in 2011 with The Johnny's Angel Award, celebrating their contributions to the Bread and Life Soup Kitchen.

Lavin has been very active with The V Foundation for Cancer Research, where he has joined in numerous fundraising and awareness events. Lavin is part of The V Foundation President's Club, donating more than $50,000 to the organization. Other members of the leadership team are Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Kentucky's John Calipari, and Michigan State's Tom Izzo. In addition, Lavin has been extremely involved with Coaches vs. Cancer, a foundation that Lavin has helped raise over $1.5 million for since 2010.

Head coaching record[]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
UCLA Bruins (Pacific-10 Conference) (1996–2003)
1996–97 UCLA 24–8 15–3 1st NCAA Division I Elite Eight
1997–98 UCLA 24–9 12–6 3rd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
1998–99 UCLA 22–9 12–6 3rd NCAA Division I First Round
1999–00 UCLA 21–12 10–8 T–4th NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2000–01 UCLA 23–9 14–4 3rd NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2001–02 UCLA 21–12 11–7 6th NCAA Division I Sweet 16
2002–03 UCLA 10–19 6–12 T–6th
UCLA: 145–78 (.650) 80–46 (.635)
St. John's Red Storm (Big East Conference) (2010–2015)
2010–11 St. John's 21–12 12–6 T–3rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2011–12 St. John's 2−2* - T–11th
2012–13 St. John's 17–14 8–8* 11th NIT Second Round
2013–14 St. John's 20–13 10–8 T–3rd NIT First Round
2014–15 St. John's 21−12 10−8 5th NCAA Division I Round of 64
St. John's: 81–53 (.604) 40–30 (.571)
Total: 226–133 (.630)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

  • 2011-2012: Missed games recovering from cancer surgery, assistant coach Mike Dunlap served as interim head coach.
  • 2013: Missed two games due to Father's death

References[]

  1. ^ "Stephen Michael Lavin". Marquis Who's Who. Archived from the original on July 23, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Steve Lavin". St. John's Red Storm. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  3. ^ Wolff, Alexander Out To Dinner, Out Of A Job Sports Illustrated, November 18, 1996
  4. ^ "Steve Lavin". UCLA Bruins. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  5. ^ McMurphy, Brett (2011). "Steve Lavin Takes New York by Storm". aolnews.com. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012. Retrieved March 20, 2011.
  6. ^ Weiss, Dick (January 26, 2012). "Steve Lavin, now cancer-free, doesn't rule out returning to St. John's bench this season". New York Daily News. Retrieved 18 March 2012.]
  7. ^ Eisenberg, Jeff (March 27, 2015). "Steve Lavin out at St. John's after five up-and-down seasons". sports.yahoo. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
Retrieved from ""