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Molloy coaching legend Curran wins No. 900
By Dylan Butler December 5, 2008
There was no elaborate ceremony, no half-court presentation. No, when the buzzer sounded and Archbishop Molloy had just defeated Monsignor Scanlan, 93-53, on Friday night, there was simply an announcement by Bro. James Vagan over the public address system to indicate that Jack Curran had just won his 900th game as boys’ basketball coach on the court that bares his name.
Just the way Curran wanted it.
Actually, Curran would have preferred nothing at all, no announcement, no big deal. It’s about the players, he said, not him. But a packed house at Jack Curran Gymnasium would say otherwise.
“It makes the game bigger than it is, but maybe that was good because we had a decent crowd and people were into it,” Curran said. “It’s good for the kids when they get a big crowd. I know they like that. Too much has been made of me over the last couple of years. I’m here so long. I’d like the kids to get the attention. I get enough attention.”
The gym was crowded, as it often is on a Friday night. But joining the students were several Molloy alums and administrators there to witness the milestone. Ernest Rouse noticed as soon as he walked into the gym for warm-ups.
“I saw them in the balcony,” the 6-foot junior said. “We had to get this win because you can’t disappoint them.”
Because he was approaching a milestone not reached by any other coach ever in New York State, Curran made the trip down from his home in Rye despite what he called his “worst cold ever.” Had this been some other non-league game, Curran said he wouldn’t have left the house.
Last year Curran was honored in an elaborate ceremony for his half-century of service to Archbishop Molloy. More than 300 former players, alumni, friends and family joined together after the victory to honor him at a reception and Molloy also unveiled a banner inside Jack Curran Gymnasium with his image and a replica of his signature will be emblazoned on the court.
He’s been named city coach of the year 22 times, national coach of the year in 1990, coach of the decade (1980-1990) and coach of the century by Scholastic Coach Magazine.
In baseball, the Stanners have won the CHSAA city championship an unprecedented 17 times and their 68 consecutive league victories over the course of a several seasons was a national high-school record that stood from 1970 to 2005. Curran has been named CHSAA baseball coach of the year 25 times and he was named national coach of the year in 1988.
Curran was selling building materials in western Massachusetts when he read a small article that said Lou Carnesecca had left St. Ann’s to become an assistant at St. John’s. Curran, who coached CYO basketball and semi-pro baseball, called Long Island University coach Clair Bee, the man responsible for the invention of the shot clock and the 1-3-1 zone, for advice.
“He said why don’t you go down and get that job?” Curran said.
Curran did. He said he was offered $4,500 a year, $4,000 to teach and another $500 to coach, although he negotiated to get $500 each for baseball and basketball.
He’s been coaching both sports ever since, and still, at age 77, throws batting practice for his baseball team.
Curran has won five city championships and had seven players -- most recently Kenny Anderson, a player he says still calls him frequently -- play in the NBA. The game and the players have changed during Curran’s time and when Molloy went co-ed in 2000, it has limited the amount of top-flight players who can walk into the building.
Curran won his 700th game on Feb. 9, 1996, a 61-50 victory against Xaverian. An article of the achievement is among a bevy of pictures of his former baseball and basketball players on the wall of the athletic office.
Win No. 900 was a bit easier, the game basically decided by halftime. Rouse scored a game-high 21 points, LeBrandon Smith had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Ryan Dillon had 17 points and Russ Smith added 16 for the Stanners, who have opened the season 2-0.
“It feels great because we really wanted to get him that win,” Rouse said. “If we didn’t get it here it would have been a big letdown to coach.”
Added Russ Smith: “It means so much to the program.”
Brandon Hill had 17 points, Anthony Lomedico had 11 and Victor Edmunds added 10 for Scanlan, which trailed 46-30 at the half and 71-39 after three quarters.
A loss against Scanlan would have meant that Curran would have likely reached the milestone in Washington D.C. at a tournament next weekend.
“The people down at Gonzaga were hoping we’d lose tonight so we’d do it down there,” Curran said. “I’d rather get it done and we’ll start on the next 100 now.”
dbutler@fiveborosports.com
Just the way Curran wanted it.
Actually, Curran would have preferred nothing at all, no announcement, no big deal. It’s about the players, he said, not him. But a packed house at Jack Curran Gymnasium would say otherwise.
“It makes the game bigger than it is, but maybe that was good because we had a decent crowd and people were into it,” Curran said. “It’s good for the kids when they get a big crowd. I know they like that. Too much has been made of me over the last couple of years. I’m here so long. I’d like the kids to get the attention. I get enough attention.”
The gym was crowded, as it often is on a Friday night. But joining the students were several Molloy alums and administrators there to witness the milestone. Ernest Rouse noticed as soon as he walked into the gym for warm-ups.
“I saw them in the balcony,” the 6-foot junior said. “We had to get this win because you can’t disappoint them.”
Because he was approaching a milestone not reached by any other coach ever in New York State, Curran made the trip down from his home in Rye despite what he called his “worst cold ever.” Had this been some other non-league game, Curran said he wouldn’t have left the house.
Last year Curran was honored in an elaborate ceremony for his half-century of service to Archbishop Molloy. More than 300 former players, alumni, friends and family joined together after the victory to honor him at a reception and Molloy also unveiled a banner inside Jack Curran Gymnasium with his image and a replica of his signature will be emblazoned on the court.
He’s been named city coach of the year 22 times, national coach of the year in 1990, coach of the decade (1980-1990) and coach of the century by Scholastic Coach Magazine.
In baseball, the Stanners have won the CHSAA city championship an unprecedented 17 times and their 68 consecutive league victories over the course of a several seasons was a national high-school record that stood from 1970 to 2005. Curran has been named CHSAA baseball coach of the year 25 times and he was named national coach of the year in 1988.
Curran was selling building materials in western Massachusetts when he read a small article that said Lou Carnesecca had left St. Ann’s to become an assistant at St. John’s. Curran, who coached CYO basketball and semi-pro baseball, called Long Island University coach Clair Bee, the man responsible for the invention of the shot clock and the 1-3-1 zone, for advice.
“He said why don’t you go down and get that job?” Curran said.
Curran did. He said he was offered $4,500 a year, $4,000 to teach and another $500 to coach, although he negotiated to get $500 each for baseball and basketball.
He’s been coaching both sports ever since, and still, at age 77, throws batting practice for his baseball team.
Curran has won five city championships and had seven players -- most recently Kenny Anderson, a player he says still calls him frequently -- play in the NBA. The game and the players have changed during Curran’s time and when Molloy went co-ed in 2000, it has limited the amount of top-flight players who can walk into the building.
Curran won his 700th game on Feb. 9, 1996, a 61-50 victory against Xaverian. An article of the achievement is among a bevy of pictures of his former baseball and basketball players on the wall of the athletic office.
Win No. 900 was a bit easier, the game basically decided by halftime. Rouse scored a game-high 21 points, LeBrandon Smith had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Ryan Dillon had 17 points and Russ Smith added 16 for the Stanners, who have opened the season 2-0.
“It feels great because we really wanted to get him that win,” Rouse said. “If we didn’t get it here it would have been a big letdown to coach.”
Added Russ Smith: “It means so much to the program.”
Brandon Hill had 17 points, Anthony Lomedico had 11 and Victor Edmunds added 10 for Scanlan, which trailed 46-30 at the half and 71-39 after three quarters.
A loss against Scanlan would have meant that Curran would have likely reached the milestone in Washington D.C. at a tournament next weekend.
“The people down at Gonzaga were hoping we’d lose tonight so we’d do it down there,” Curran said. “I’d rather get it done and we’ll start on the next 100 now.”
dbutler@fiveborosports.com