In November, I concelebrated the funeral Mass for Lou Carnesecca, the former basketball coach at St. John’s University. The liturgy was beautiful, and the St. Thomas More Church on the St. John’s campus was filled to capacity. Father Richard Rock gave a beautiful homily. The liturgy was one of the most moving I have ever attended. I had the impression that everyone in the church, not just former players who had “Louie” as a coach, had a special relationship with Coach Carneseccca. Hundreds of people felt that they wanted to attend because of their relationship with him.

Since 2021, a statue of Louie proudly fist-pumping has been in the lobby of Carnesecca Arena on St. John’s campus. I think it is a wonderful sign of what Louie meant not only to St. John’s basketball but also to the St. John’s community. The liturgy started me thinking about the relationship that coaches have with the young men and women they relate to. In grammar school, high school, and the seminary, I was very involved in sports, especially football and baseball. I was pretty good in both sports and like to refer to myself as “a legend in my own mind.”

Later, when I was in the major seminary, I took basketball very seriously. In the world of athletics, I experienced the presence of many coaches. Lou Carnesecca really is a legend. More times than I can count, I have heard statements about Lou describing how he was not only a very good coach but a really great human being. The attendance at the funeral liturgy was a wonderful tribute to a special person, someone who in some way had touched their lives.

When I started teaching philosophy at St John’s University in 1985, I occasionally met Louie on campus. Every time I met him, he would make some complimentary comment about my column in The Tablet. He did that every time our paths crossed. I knew that he meant the compliment. Apparently, this type of friendly comment was typical of Louie. I never told him how much his compliments meant to me. I am sorry that I didn’t.

Reflecting on the impact that Louie had on his players has helped me to see how influential a coach can be, not only in teaching some athletic skill but in helping those coached be better human beings. I think great coaches are great teachers. The relationship between a coach and those coached is different from other teacher-student relationships. What’s unique about the relationship is that from the start,
the players want to be on the team and successful. When I teach philosophy, I must motivate the students and convince them that studying philosophy is important. From the very beginning of their relationship, players may be as eager as the coach that both they and the team will be successful. That’s why  they want to be on the team.

I don’t think there are any unimportant vocations. In every human situation, there are possibilities for growth. However, the impact that a great coach can have on players seems special. Attending Louie’s funeral, reflecting on his career at St. John’s, and hearing the statements made by his former players have reminded me of the special role that a great coach, who is also a great human being, can have in the lives of his players.

Near the end of his career, Frank Sinatra — when he appeared in some huge theatre filled to capacity with his fans, some of whom had enjoyed his singing from the early 1940s — would make statements like the following: “I have never experienced so much love in one room.” That was how I felt at the funeral liturgy for Louie in St. Thomas More Church, which was filled with people who loved Louie.

When Louie was not well enough to leave his house, a friend of mine brought him Communion almost daily. How fitting it was that a man who spent his life helping others could receive special service from a friend. I guess that each of us judges success in different ways. For example, I think some people judge success by the amount of money a person accumulates. I suspect that Lou Carnesecca was not a billionaire, but judging from his funeral liturgy at St. John’s University and everything I know about Louie, he was tremendously successful in the way that ultimately counts — helping others. I am confident the angels have welcomed him into paradise.