Masur has built a soccer dynasty at St. John's

Dave Masur has transformed St. John's University soccer into a national powerhouse over the past 20 years, and his Red Storm advanced into the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2011.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News writes of how Masur has built SJU into an annual title contender.

When Dave Masur arrived on the St. John’s campus in 1991. Lou Carnesecca was still the school’s basketball coach, the school’s nickname was the Redmen and the soccer program was nothing more than a bad joke.

A successful season, in fact, was defined by how many matches Looie would attend, which weren’t many.

“There was no history,” Masur says. “But I thought St. Johns was a diamond in the rough. For one, you’re in the Big East. I thought that St. John’s had enough going for it that we could do really good things.”

Fast forward 21 seasons and it is the men’s soccer team that has evolved into the gold standard for the Red Storm’s intercollegiate sports teams, while Masur is now the tenured coaching legend on campus.

Masur’s 10th-ranked club plays host to 29th-ranked Brown University in a second-round NCAA Tournament game at 5 p.m. Sunday at Belson Stadium on the Queens campus in Jamaica. It is the Red Storm’s 18th appearance in the tournament under Masur, who has built a national power in Queens.

The numbers are staggering: one College Cup title, four Finals Fours, two national coach of the year awards and 304 wins overall and counting. The program has come a long way since Masur took over as a part-time coach with a shoestring recruiting budget and poor facilities. The best thing the program had going for it was Masurs vision and work ethic.

“St. John’s has been a special place for me and my family for 21 years, said Masur, who holds a doctorate in education administration supervision from the same university he coaches. “This has been a special place for me and my family for 21 years. It’s given me the opportunity to teach, grow as a coach, learn and make an impact in kids’ lives.”

The Red Storm added more silverware last Sunday when Jack Bennett’s golden goal in the first overtime against UConn gave St. John’s its ninth Big East championship and improved its overall record to 14-6-2.

Under Masur, St. Johns is accustomed to playing soccer late into November, but the coach still says the experience is “nervewracking,” adding that “there’s always something to worry about.”