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Message: [QUOTE="freescooter, post: 4872398, member: 1023"] Your right. He did. But keep in mind the Final Four of that era wasn’t the final four of today. Teams would turn down the NCAA to play in the NIT which was more prestigious. The reason I picked 1956 is that St John’s had success with McGuire, then Lapchick, who left to go to coach the Knicks. His assistant took over but wasn’t up to the job and the Johnnies fell off precipitously. Multiple losing seasons in succession (Lapchick had exactly 1 in his 2 stints in Queens). He came back in 1956 and turned the program around again. He was followed by Lou Carnesseca. In this day and age it is unbelievable, and it seems that it can’t be true, but I read that Lapchick retired when he reached 65 because St John’s had a rule requiring all non-religious to retire at 65. He tried to get them to waive the rule but they wouldn’t. Now they hire a guy who is in his 70s. [/QUOTE]