After five seasons, Chris McNesby is back as head coach following the departure of previous coach Matt Griffin, who replaced McNesby, to become an assistant at Albany. "We're going to come and compete every night. Griffin played his first two collegiate seasons at Rider then transferred to play at Boston University, where he met Killings, who was an assistant with the Terriers at the time. I truly believe that the experience we have Roman Catholic prepares them for the next level.. You have pressure to know what youre talking about, know what youre doing. Please email any questions or concerns about these stories to: editor@philadelphianeighbors.com. A night before the final interview, athletic director Ed Bubby DiCamillo called to tell him that the other finalist had accepted the Archbishop Carroll job. Arrigales time at Neumann started with a beer at Deans Bar, a hole-in-the-wall at 29th and Tasker. When McNesby left, there were a lot of youth teams to coach, complicated schedules that meant his Roman demands would have meant extra hardship on his family. He returned to coach his alma mater to develop a new generation of PCL standouts. As we publish more, the complete list of schools previewed will be found here. Roman Catholic's new head coach, Matt Griffin, is a SJP alum - photo courtesy of Roman Catholic. 3) (April 21-22, 2023), This website is powered by SportsEngine's. Roman Catholic basketball coach Matt Griffin to work for former Temple assistant Dwayne Killings at Albany | Mike Jensen "It was a PhD in coaching," Griffin said of his time at Roman. as the Cahillites courtside leader. Cardinal Dougherty faced similar issues and only had 642 students enrolled when it closed. 2023 PCL Boys' Basketball Championship First Round No. In 2018, Griffin was named USA TODAY Coach of the Year in the state of Pennsylvania. And South Philadelphia has treated him just fine. . If we all come together as a collective group defensively and get stops, the sky's the limit for our group. Except for Central in the early part of the 20th century, no city leagues team had won six consecutive titles. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL). We trust him. They remember a lot of the memories of the state playoffs and the run [] they know how much I love it., All that remained was, you know, getting the job. As the only Roman players to have started all 12 games last year, the trio will carry most of the load on the court for the Cahillites and will also be expected to handle many of the leadership responsibilities. Coach Kirck made mistakes in how he handled the game last night, but enough with the character assassination, Mr. Shea said. But if you look backwards, [Bishop] McDevitt has closed, [John] [W.] Hallahan has closed, North Catholic has closed, said McKee. The Griffin name means something in Philadelphia basketball. "At Roman, we have expectations of ourselves every year," Roman head coach Chris McNesby said. @RomanBasketball The coach washed the white shorts and jerseys the Saints wore in their semifinal win, making sure they were ready for the big game. Tag(s): Its like being a part of something really special, and when youre away from it, youre outside the circle. The shirt and tie he wore for the first title were swapped out for a tracksuit. Stand by.. Arrigale was hired in 1999 and Neumann finished his first season in second place before falling in the playoffs. Administrators at Sacred Heart did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment on Thursday, but expressed remorse over the episode in a statement to GameTimeCT, a scholastic sports website that is part of Hearst Connecticut Media Group. It was 13 years ago that McNesby, several years a Roman assistant coach, succeeded longtime Roman coach Dennis Seddon as the Cahillites courtside leader. I want the kids to have things that theyll talk about forever, Arrigale said. Hopefully, Ive done that.. Maybe he could just go to a game at the Palestra and watch as a fan or have something else to talk about than basketball when he runs into old friends down the Shore. But this felt like time. Hes done what we want to do before. Philadelphia High School Basketball Coaches' All-Catholic Teams (1970-2022) Return to TedSilary.com Home Page Griffin stressed that those three guys are really going to run the program. Through the way of 17 varsity sports as well as an intramural program, we teach young men the core values of preparation, teamwork, commitment and humility. Among the supporting cast around Skillings, Farmer and Brown will be senior forward, , son of former Roman standout and NBA big man. It was also there that he met teammate, As the school has no plans to hire a permanent head coach yet, Irving, assistants, After serving as an assistant for two seasons at, While his final season at the helm of the Cahillites ended in the title game, Griffin is leaving a talented corps for whoever takes the job. Catholic League (B) 3 of 18 4 of 18 University at Albany men's basketball assistant coach Matt Griffin, right, . Previously, Griffin was the head coach at Roman Catholic High School from 2016-2021. Im losing money doing this because what they pay you and what you put out doesnt match up. JuniorJhamir Martinis also a returning starter as is 6-7 juniorMatija Radunovic. 860 Elm . Three of his assistant coaches Bill Goebig, Kyle Bernard and Mike Wild are all still on staff, as is team statistician and local hoops figure Tom Hock McKenna. 2022-23 Preview Hes done what we want to do before. However, the outside support the school receives is an underrated factor of its success on the court. Bethlehem Catholic boys basketball coach Scott McClary was an assistant coach and camp director for the late Morgan Wooten, the legendary coach who led DeMatha Catholic of Washington, D.C., to . [ April 26, 2023 ] Amateur Sports: Philadelphia Catholic League Has Traditions That Extend Beyond the Court. Hes been there before. The whole process of growing up kind of gave me this coaching bug. Because at the end of the day, it is a business. MaxPreps National Basketball Editor Jordan Divens takes a look at this week's MaxPreps Top 25 basketball rankings. It was always in me.. Coach is a great family man, friend, teacher, & coach who made a mistake which he feels terrible about. Three of his assistant coaches Bill Goebig, Kyle Bernard and Mike Wild are all still on staff, as is team statistician and local hoops figure Tom 'Hock' McKenna. NAME: 12: Carl Arrigale . Roman Catholics Xzayvier Brown leads the Cahillites back to a Catholic League championship game, California residents do not sell my data request. A glut of talent on PCL rosters created league-wide parody and heightened interest in the competition, as four programs had a realistic chance to win the 2023 title. Brown backed him . His old high school coach will be there and Morriss wife will call him before the game to wish him luck, more reminders of how the games mean so much to so many. All three have been assistants alongside Griffin since he was hired. Many of the catholic catholic irish puns are supposed to be funny, but some can be offensive. Certainly Chris track record of knowing the program there was an advantage.. He returned to coach his alma mater to develop a new generation of PCL standouts. I dont know if he remembers this, but 10 years ago, I remember sitting in the office at Boston University, Griffin said. He led Roman to four consecutive Philadelphia Catholic Championship appearances, winning back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019. The classic story of just working hard and just keep pushing and grinding and look what happens, McNesby said. Dennis Seddon coached basketball at Roman Catholic for 22 seasons (1987-2008), winning 516 games and 10 Catholic League championships. And by the end of the third quarter, it had ballooned to 80-0. It raises a red flag, Mr. Carbone said on Thursday of the score. The schools will face each other again on Jan. 28. Im just coaching to chase that down, Arrigale said. North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty shut down because of enrollment reasons. Who is next?. Arrigale looks to finish his 25th Catholic League season with a win in Monday's championship vs. Roman. Basketball Did you know? On 3/18, the Roman Catholic varsity basketball team won their away playoff game against Parkland (Allentown, PA) by a score of 53-35. . He came back to the shop a few blocks from the Italian Market after college when his mother, Marlene, was diagnosed with cancer. We walk in the house and the Daily News is out with the article about us winning, Arrigale said. This is not A.A.U. Are we making more money than were spending?. Reading High defeats Roman Catholic in overtime to win PIAA Class 6A boys basketball title [Updated] Now, Nick has his moment and his gold medal too. For me, being a Catholic League guy for years, McNesby said last month at the City of Basketball Love Interstate Shootout, (the goal) is to win the Catholic League. Leading the Roman roster is star two-way senior forward Daniel Skillings Jr., who has committed to Cincinnati; a pure scorer in Farmer, who has offers from a number of schools including Drexel, Albany and Fairfield; and junior point guard Xzayvier Brown, who has offers from Marquette, Fordham, VCU, St. Joes and more. Roman Catholic vs. Neumann Goretti sets up familiar championship matchup for Catholic League title. Arrigale won his first league title and also set the foundation for his program. Roman won back-to-back Catholic League and PIAA state titles in 2015 and 2016 under McNesby led by current NBA wing Lamar Stevens and fellow former Penn State standout Tony Carr before he stepped down from the position he began in 2008, guiding the Cahillites to a 168-55 record in eight seasons. A closer look reveals individuals in localcommunities who make sports accessible and enjoyable for others. Doyle spent just a season at Neumann and the next coach Tom Dougherty lasted only three. I dont think were ever going to forget it, he said. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL). Your email address will not be published. In addition to his coaching duties, Griffin served as the Athletic Director for the last two years, overseeing 17 athletic programs. You have to win the 11th title, he said, and have the record on your own. Arrigale was ready and applied for the job. But it wasnt the Xs-and-Os that made Arrigale special. But now were kind of needing them to really step up even more. Morris finished his career with 1,035 victories as the coach of five teams, including high school boys' teams at Roman Catholic, Penn Charter, and St. Joseph's Prep, as well as the La Salle University women and men. Arrigale will receive another one on Monday night when the Palestra fills up and the old building buzzes. When it comes to Philly hoops, Jardine said his old coach belongs in the conversation with luminaries like John Chaney and Bill Ellerbee. Those with five: Roman (1924-28), Penn Charter (1940-45, one shared), Malvern Prep (1973-77, one shared) and West Philadelphia (1974-78). The Cahillites saw a great deal of success with Griffin heading the program, and the departure of coach in a winning program can be an obstacle to deal with in some cases. It was at that moment that he formally offered his longtime friend the opportunity to become a Division I assistant coach. That league title game came to a climactic finish as Greer found Hart for the game-winning basket in the closing seconds. 9 Father Judge 61 Quarterfinals No. In spite of the passionate fans, the bottom line is that enrollment numbers and financial pressures are concerns that PCL schools must monitor. Those individual awards? On 3/25, the Roman Catholic varsity basketball team lost their home playoff game against Reading (PA) by a score of 62-56. A Roman alum, McNesby went 168-55 (.753) overall and 90-16 (.849) in the Catholic League in the eight years that followed, winning back-to-back Catholic League and PIAA state championships in both 2015 and 16. As he pulled into the fabled school at the corner of Broad and Vine Streets, he received a call from an old friend: riffin will step down as Roman Catholics head coach and athletic director, effective April 1, and become an assistant on Killings staff at Albany. We are grateful for some of the people that we have partnerships with within the [South] [Philadelphia] community.. And the washing machine? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2022 All Rights Reserved. It wasnt going to be an easy choice; Bongard said that the last time around, when McNesby left the job while the school was also in the search for a new principal, we had seven people apply for principal and 32 apply for basketball coach.. At times, basketball has taken a back seat to these broader realities. The decision to suspend him was made by Sacred Heart, according to Mr. Carbone, who said that the league did not have a mercy rule in basketball. MISSION STATEMENT. He grew up at 29th and McKean, was married at St. Gabriels, raised his family a 10-minute walk from the stadiums, and now coaches the high-school basketball team that defines South Philadelphia just as much as he does. But champions are always remembered., READ MORE: Roman Catholics Xzayvier Brown leads the Cahillites back to a Catholic League championship game. I still remember exactly where I saw him. It was also there that he met teammateD.J. In 2021, Bishop McDevitt High School and John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School suffered a similar fate. Roman Catholic's Xzavier Brown '23 has emerged as the finest pure point guard in the Greater Philadelphia region .