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After 27 years leading the York College men’s basketball team, Ronald St. John has decided to step down as head coach of the Cardinals. Longtime assistant coach Antoine Morris has been promoted to Interim Head Coach.
St. John, who is also the school’s athletic director, has decided to step down as head coach in order to focus solely on his role as athletic director.
“It was a very difficult decision, but I thought it was the right thing to do. I thought it was important to focus on bringing York’s other athletic programs to the level of men’s basketball,” said St. John.
During St. John’s 27-year tenure, he tallied 385 victories, won four City University of New York Athletic Conference Championships (1997, 2006, 2007, 2014) and reached the NCAA Tournament six times (1995-97, 2006, 2007, 2014). In 2014, he earned his first victory in the NCAA tournament, advancing into the second round. In addition, the Cardinals earned an ECAC Championship in 1998. He’s also coached three NCAA All-Americans—Nathan Reeves (1997), Marcel Esonwune (2010, 2011) and Michael Woods (2014).
St. John was named CUNY Athletic Conference Coach of the Year for the 1995-1996 and 2006-2007 seasons, and in 1997 he was named Metropolitan Coach of the Year by the Basketball Writers Association. In December of 2009, St. John, the winningest coach in school history, became the 58th coach in NCAA Division III history to reach the 300-win plateau. He ranks third all-time amongst CUNYAC coaches in career victories, behind former Baruch College coach Ray Rankis and current head coach at the College of Staten Island, Tony Petosa.
“It’s been a wonderful run. I never thought that I would go from being a player on York in 1975 to one day becoming the athletic director and the winningest coach in school history. I couldn’t have done it without my long-time coaching staff—Antoine Morris, Nathan Reeves and Jessica Cherry— being by my side this whole time.”
Morris has served as St John’s top assistant since the 1996-97 season and has played an integral role in York’s four CUNYAC Championships. Morris was also a star player for the Cardinals during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. He averaged 15.6 points during his playing career, while shooting 41 percent from three-point range, and led the team to a berth in the NCAA tournament in 1995. Nathan Reeves, who has been an assistant coach since 1998, will continue to serve in that role under Morris.
“Ronald has been my coach, mentor and friend,” said Morris. “He has always prepared me for this. I will do him proud. It’s an honor to be taking over for him. I’m ready for the challenge.”
http://yorkathletics.com/news/2015/10/15/MBB_1015153045.aspx
Photo Courtesy York Athletics
