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Jeff Borzello, ESPN Staff Writer
St. John’s and athletic director Mike Cragg are parting ways after six years, the school announced on Monday.
Cragg’s tenure will end on June 30.
“It has been an honor to lead the athletic department at St. John’s University,” Cragg said. “I am proud of what we have accomplished together and am confident that the department is in a strong position for continued success.
“As I bid farewell to St. John’s, I extend my gratitude to our passionate fans and loyal alumni whose support has been the bedrock of our community. I am profoundly thankful for the dedicated and incredible staff of administrators and coaches whose commitment has propelled us forward. Most importantly, I celebrate our remarkable student-athletes, whose hard work and spirit have been a constant source of inspiration. Together, we have achieved great things, and I will forever cherish our shared journey.”
Cragg took over in 2018 after more than 30 years at Duke, where he worked closely with Mike Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils’ basketball program. During his six years in charge, St. John’s won six Big East championships and a pair of individual national championships in fencing.
The school’s athletic programs also moved back to Nike in 2019 after being outfitted by Under Armour for six years.
Cragg’s biggest moves came in the men’s basketball program, where he oversaw two significant coaching changes. Red Storm legend and Hall of Famer Chris Mullin resigned as the team’s head coach in 2019, with Cragg turning to Mike Anderson as his replacement. After Anderson went four years without an NCAA tournament appearance, Cragg fired him after the 2022-23 season.
That opened a path for St. John’s to pursue Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, a New York native and someone the fanbase had wanted since the 1980s. He was quickly hired and the Red Storm narrowly missed the NCAA tournament in his first season.
St. John’s said it will conduct a national search for Cragg’s replacement, although one name sources expect to be involved is Fordham athletic director Ed Kull, who earned his MBA from St. John’s and worked in the athletic department for several years.