St. John's Lavin hires Chiles for staff
Steve Lavin has hired Tony Chiles, who just completed his fifth season as an assistant at Drexel. Credit: Newsday/Photo By Patrick E. McCarthy
New St. John's basketball coach Steve Lavin has made his first hire and predictably, it is someone with strong recruiting ties in New York City. The appointment of Tony Chiles, who just completed his fifth season as an assistant at Drexel, is to be announced shortly. His departure for St. John's was confirmed by an athletic official at Drexel.
Chiles spent six years at Iona as the recruiting coordinator under coach Jeff Ruland. Chiles also was an assistant at Manhattan. He played at Columbia, where he still holds the single-game assist record of 18, and at All Hallows High School in the Bronx.
Meanwhile, Lavin's attempt to bring over Manhattan coach Barry Rohrssen as his lead assistant remains on hold. Rohrssen appears to be leaning toward staying with the Jaspers. Lavin also is interested in Oregon's Mike Dunlap, who has West Coast and Pac-10 contacts that Lavin, the former UCLA coach, wants to re-establish.
Hofstra assistant Van Macon, interviewed last week by Lavin, could still join Tom Pecora at Fordham.
