Frank Franklin II / AP file

Mike Jarvis was hired at Florida Atlantic more than four years after he was fired at St. John's.

FAU, which typically plays home games before a few hundred people, might be seeing a few thousand at home games sooner than later.

“It’s been a very interesting four years for us,” said Connie Jarvis, the coach’s wife. “We had to learn patience, a lot of patience. But he loves coaching. He’s good at it. I think now he has more information that he’d like to share with young people, not just Xs and Os, but skills for life. That’s what drove him back.”

So, too, did the desire to eliminate the bad aftertaste he had from his St. John’s experience.

Jarvis has reached the NCAA tournament at all three of his previous stops: Boston University, George Washington and St. John’s, which he guided within one game of the Final Four in his first season there, 1998-99.

Not much went right for him in New York after that year.

Under Jarvis, the Red Storm won only one more NCAA tournament game after his first season and had several players get into trouble both on and off the court. Plus, St. John’s was ultimately placed on two years’ probation because a member of the basketball staff — not one of Jarvis’ assistant coaches, however — made improper payments to a player.

Largely because of that mess, FAU passed on Jarvis three years ago, hiring Matt Doherty. This time, it welcomed him with open arms.

“He’s the right fit for us at the right time,” Angelos said.

To hear Jarvis tell it, he’ll be in Boca for a long time, too.

Doherty, the former North Carolina coach who resurfaced at FAU, stayed only one year before leaving. Walters lasted two years before deciding the time was right to take over at San Francisco. And the notion of coaches using jobs at the so-called midmajors as springboards into one of the game’s power conferences isn’t exactly a new one.

Jarvis says that isn’t the case here. He points out that he’s always fulfilled every contract he’s had.

“I hope and have every intention to have this be not only my last coaching job,” he said, “but my most enjoyable coaching job.”

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