Barry “Slice” Rohrssen was officially named the associate head coach under St. John’s head man Chris Mullin on Monday.
The news of Rohrssen’s addition to St. John’s was reported by SNY.tv on Sunday.
Sources said Rohrssen’s deal is for five years with a base salary of $450,000 annually. He reportedly earned a base of $375,000 at Kentucky plus bonuses.
Rohrssen brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to the St. John’s basketball program, including five seasons as a head coach at Manhattan College from 2006-2011. The Brooklyn native is coming off a historic run with Kentucky in 2014-15. Rohrssen served as an assistant on John Calipari’s staff, and helped lead the Wildcats to a 38-1 record and the program’s second-straight Final Four appearance.
“Barry is a great addition to our staff,” said Mullin. “His experience in all facets of college basketball is going to be important for our program. He was a head coach and has participated in every role in the development of programs, so his guidance will be vital to our success.”
“Let’s all congratulate Slice for his new opportunity at St. John’s,” Calipari said. “When he came in my office and talked to me about the offer, we both got emotional. You have to understand, we’ve been friends for 30 years. Not only that, he loved this place and the BBN. At the end of the day, it was an offer in every way — including going home — that I didn’t think he could pass on. As we do with players and staff, when these things arise, I want our family to do what’s right for them. I couldn’t be happier for Slice. He’s not only a great person, he’s a terrific coach and recruiter, and one of my most loyal friends. I wish Slice and (his fiancée) Kerry nothing but the best in their new opportunity.”
Rohrssen helped recruit Isaiah Briscoe to Kentucky over St. John’s, and was also involved with recruiting McDonald’s All-American Game MVP Cheick Diallo, who is considering St. John’s, Kentucky, Kansas, Pitt and Iowa State.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
