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“Chris Mullin is our coach,” St. John’s AD says

Big East Basketball Tournament - First Round

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Head coach Chris Mullin of the St. John’s Red Storm watches his team in the first half against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the Big East Basketball Tournament on March 9, 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Chris Mullin will be back at St. John’s next year, according to the school’s athletic director.

“Let me be clear and I said from the start, Coach Mullin is our head coach and we are not looking for another head coach,” Mike Cragg said in a statement released to Jeff Goodman of Stadium.

Speculation had begun to run rampant regarding Mullin after he completed his fourth season at his alma mater with an NCAA tournament exit in the First Four. It was the first NCAA tournament appearance for the Red Storm under Mullin, who has gone 59-73 overall and 20-52 in the Big East without a single winning season in conference play.

The lack of success isn’t the only issue facing St. John’s as a pair of departure have hurt the program as well. Shamorie Ponds, one of the Big East’s best players last year, has announced his plans to go pro without the intent to return to school. Mullin also lost assistant Matt Abdelmassih, who had recruited the bulk of the Red Storm roster, to Nebraska and Fred Hoiberg.

The program has had momentum and success in small supply in four seasons, and what little there was last season - Mullin’s first with a winning record - looks as though it will be difficult to sustain going forward.