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McClancy coach Kent reaches 400-win milestone
By Dylan Butler January 26, 2009
When Don Kent picked up the CHSAA media guide before the start of the season, his 36th as a high-school basketball coach, he did some quick math and realized he was approaching a milestone.
“Maybe I could reach 400 this year,” Kent said. “Maybe, maybe not. It feels good to reach it with six games to go. It was within reach, but I didn’t know if I’d reach it this year and I’m happy to reach it this year because the kids that got it for me is a good group of kids.”
Kent got the milestone victory Saturday night against Mater Dei (N.J.) at the East Elmhurst school he’d been coaching at since 1982, a year after he was fired by Christ the King when he refused to cross the picket line during the teacher strike of 1981.
Bob Oliva, who was the Christ the King freshman coach at the time, did cross the line and took over for Kent.
“I’m very grateful because McClancy got me back into coaching after losing my position at Christ the King,” he said.
Kent has been associated with the all-boys’ school for so long, it is hard to believe he’s coached anywhere else.
One of seven children, Kent grew up in Brooklyn and Breezy Point and was a sprinter, a pitcher and a basketball player at St. Francis Prep. He’s always been close with St. Francis Prep because his two brothers – both Franciscan brothers – worked there. Bro. Robert Kent is the baseball coach and alumni director and Bro. Ed Kent is a retired English teacher.
Kent’s coaching career started at Bishop Riley, where he was the last coach at the school before St. Francis Prep moved from Brooklyn and took the building over. He then coached at Christ the King from 1974-1981.
But his fondest memories on the basketball court have come at McClancy.
“All my life coaching, I considered myself an underdog coach,” Kent said. “I wasn’t spoon-fed talent. I had a good run with talent in the ’90s and then the talent went down. Even when I had teams that were 6-20 or 5-15 years ago, I always tried to get the most I could out of them.”
Kent entertained the possibility of coaching college basketball. He received an offer from NYU and interviewed twice at St. Francis College. But he’s been loyal to McClancy, where he won his only city title (CHSAA ‘A’) in 1990.
As Kent approached the milestone, some of his most gratifying victories over the course of three-plus decades started to flood back.
There was the 70-67 win in 1982 against a Tolentine team that was going for an unprecedented fourth straight CHSAA city title. And then a stunning upset of a St. Raymond’s team that had won 22 straight games.
“Chucky Martin, the coach at Marist College, always tells me, ‘Coach, you ruined by senior year,’” Kent said.
And in 1992, McClancy advanced to the ‘AA’ championship game by beating Rice, 39-36, in the semifinals at St. John’s University.
“They had Felipe Lopez and seven Division I players and we had a team like this, an ironman five with maybe one sub and we pulled that off,” Kent said.
Somewhere up high on his list will be Saturday’s victory. It certainly rates up there for his players.
“It felt great,” senior point guard Keith Brooks said. “Coach Kent has welcomed me with open arms ever since I came to the program, I love him as a coach, as a person and I was just happy to see the look on his face when he got his 400th win.”
A day later at Adelphi University, Kent made it 401 wins as the Crusaders defeated St. Mary’s (L.I.), 70-67.
“We were all amped about it. We’re waiting to go back to school and celebrate a bit, keep our chests high in school,” said Randall Sanabria, who buried a key 3-pointer in overtime. “It’s a special moment, he’s a great guy, a great coach and we all respect him.”
Kent now has a career record of 401-463. He has been inducted into the McClancy Hall of Fame and the CHSAA Hall of Fame. While he balked at thinking about reaching the 500-win plateau, Kent said he has no plans of quitting anytime soon.
“This keeps me young,” Kent said. “I’m not over the hill yet.”
dbutler@fiveborosports.com
“Maybe I could reach 400 this year,” Kent said. “Maybe, maybe not. It feels good to reach it with six games to go. It was within reach, but I didn’t know if I’d reach it this year and I’m happy to reach it this year because the kids that got it for me is a good group of kids.”
Kent got the milestone victory Saturday night against Mater Dei (N.J.) at the East Elmhurst school he’d been coaching at since 1982, a year after he was fired by Christ the King when he refused to cross the picket line during the teacher strike of 1981.
Bob Oliva, who was the Christ the King freshman coach at the time, did cross the line and took over for Kent.
“I’m very grateful because McClancy got me back into coaching after losing my position at Christ the King,” he said.
Kent has been associated with the all-boys’ school for so long, it is hard to believe he’s coached anywhere else.
One of seven children, Kent grew up in Brooklyn and Breezy Point and was a sprinter, a pitcher and a basketball player at St. Francis Prep. He’s always been close with St. Francis Prep because his two brothers – both Franciscan brothers – worked there. Bro. Robert Kent is the baseball coach and alumni director and Bro. Ed Kent is a retired English teacher.
Kent’s coaching career started at Bishop Riley, where he was the last coach at the school before St. Francis Prep moved from Brooklyn and took the building over. He then coached at Christ the King from 1974-1981.
But his fondest memories on the basketball court have come at McClancy.
“All my life coaching, I considered myself an underdog coach,” Kent said. “I wasn’t spoon-fed talent. I had a good run with talent in the ’90s and then the talent went down. Even when I had teams that were 6-20 or 5-15 years ago, I always tried to get the most I could out of them.”
Kent entertained the possibility of coaching college basketball. He received an offer from NYU and interviewed twice at St. Francis College. But he’s been loyal to McClancy, where he won his only city title (CHSAA ‘A’) in 1990.
As Kent approached the milestone, some of his most gratifying victories over the course of three-plus decades started to flood back.
There was the 70-67 win in 1982 against a Tolentine team that was going for an unprecedented fourth straight CHSAA city title. And then a stunning upset of a St. Raymond’s team that had won 22 straight games.
“Chucky Martin, the coach at Marist College, always tells me, ‘Coach, you ruined by senior year,’” Kent said.
And in 1992, McClancy advanced to the ‘AA’ championship game by beating Rice, 39-36, in the semifinals at St. John’s University.
“They had Felipe Lopez and seven Division I players and we had a team like this, an ironman five with maybe one sub and we pulled that off,” Kent said.
Somewhere up high on his list will be Saturday’s victory. It certainly rates up there for his players.
“It felt great,” senior point guard Keith Brooks said. “Coach Kent has welcomed me with open arms ever since I came to the program, I love him as a coach, as a person and I was just happy to see the look on his face when he got his 400th win.”
A day later at Adelphi University, Kent made it 401 wins as the Crusaders defeated St. Mary’s (L.I.), 70-67.
“We were all amped about it. We’re waiting to go back to school and celebrate a bit, keep our chests high in school,” said Randall Sanabria, who buried a key 3-pointer in overtime. “It’s a special moment, he’s a great guy, a great coach and we all respect him.”
Kent now has a career record of 401-463. He has been inducted into the McClancy Hall of Fame and the CHSAA Hall of Fame. While he balked at thinking about reaching the 500-win plateau, Kent said he has no plans of quitting anytime soon.
“This keeps me young,” Kent said. “I’m not over the hill yet.”
dbutler@fiveborosports.com