St. John's head coach Rick Pitino is planning to honor his late friend and the program's sports information director, Kenny Klein, during the upcoming season. Pitino stated his intention to leave the seat next to him at the scorer's table, a spot traditionally occupied by Klein, empty during games.
"We're definitely going to do something," Pitino said regarding potential tributes. He added that he has not yet discussed the possibility of the team wearing a commemorative patch with the school.
Klein, 66, passed away on June 25 following a medical emergency at a dinner on June 11. He had served in the Red Storm's sports information department for the past two years, following an extensive career as the sports information director at the University of Louisville.
Klein was recognized for his contributions to the field, including induction into the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame two years later. In 2012, he received the Katha Quinn Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for his outstanding service to media covering college basketball.
Pitino, who delivered a eulogy at Klein's funeral, described the loss as significant. "Now each day that goes by, not only did you lose a great friend … he added so much to St. John's. It's going to be a big loss, personally for me and professionally for St. John's," Pitino stated.
The St. John's men's basketball team recently saw three players, Zuby Ejiofor, Dillon Mitchell, and Bryce Hopkins, selected in the NBA draft. Oziyah Sellers is also set to join an NBA summer league team.
Team workouts are scheduled to begin next week, with the majority of players arriving on campus this weekend.