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The New York Post
St. John's is closing in on a new athletic director, and the Queens school is picking from one of the nation's most successful athletic departments for that choice.
Mike Cragg, the deputy director of athletics at Duke, who oversaw the powerhouse program as a senior administrator and was in charge of facilities and planning at the school, agreed in principle Tuesday afternoon to become the athletic director at St. John's, sources confirmed to The Post. The final details still had to be hammered out, but an official announcement is expected Wednesday, sources said.
Cragg will replace Anton Goff, who resigned citing "family reasons" in late June after just 19 months on the job. Kathleen Meehan, associate vice president for athletics and senior women's administration, had been serving as the interim AD. St. John's hired the search firm Collegiate Sports Associates and settled on Cragg. He had been with the Blue Devils since 1987, starting in sports information and climbing up the ladder, working directly under Duke AD Kevin White the past nine years.
A high-level administrative St. John's source said Cragg will have full autonomy over every athletic program, including the flagship basketball team, a privilege Goff lacked. An alumnus of the University of Washington, Cragg helped found the Duke Basketball Legacy Fund and is credited in part with raising $115 million for the program. He was also the school's day-to-day contact with Nike, as part of the school's partnership with the sneaker company. St. John's is currently sponsored by Under Armour.
Adding Cragg would be a coup for the basketball program, which last won an NCAA Tournament game in 2000 and has been to the tournament just twice in the past 16 years. He obviously knows what goes into producing a winner, coming from Duke. A school source called the move a "game-changer" for the program.
The Johnnies enter a pivotal season under coach Chris Mullin. They have posted three straight losing seasons, but with the return of leading scorer Shamorie Ponds, fellow returning starters Justin Simon and Marvin Clark II, and several notable additions, expectations are high. St. John's will visit Duke on Feb. 2.
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