The upheaval caused by cutting six varsity sports in a university-wide restructuring plan last winter still pains the St. John’s athletic community.

So when St. John’s introduces Rick Sowell today as its men’s lacrosse coach, it is a hire that will be closely scrutinized.

Lacrosse is the sport that replaces Division I-AA football, men’s and women’s swimming, and men’s indoor, outdoor and cross-country track.

Lacrosse, which was eliminated at St. John’s after 1995, has been brought back full throttle. Sowell, 39, helped rebuild programs at Georgetown and most recently Dartmouth.