Dukes named head coach at Scanlan High
BY JASON COHEN
Mercedes Dukes fell in
love with basketball at a
young age and was a star at
Monsignor Scanlan High
School. Now, her journey has
come full circle as she was
recently named head coach
at her alma mater.
Dukes, 36, spent the past
eight years as the assistant
coach at the Throggs Neck
school and is ready to take
the reigns. On May 28, she
was offi cially tabbed head
coach.
The promotion came as a
surprise and she had no idea
that Coach Tom Catalanotto
was stepping down.
“We had a beautiful relationship,”
she said regarding
Catalanotto. “I didn’t see
it coming. My goal is to give
it my all and not let anyone
down. I’m excited to be able
to represent my alma mater
in the highest position possible.”
While Dukes starred at
Scanlan and at St. John’s
University between 2002
and 2006, her journey began
many years ago in Shorehaven.
Her fi rst love was hoops
and she followed in the footsteps
of her brother, Jaquan,
41. She became a diehard
Chicago Bulls and Michael
Jordan fan because of him.
While she grew up near
Soundview, a rough area,
her mom, Velina, an educator
for 40 years, always kept
her on the right path.
“She always made sure we
tried to do the right things,”
Dukes explained.
Dukes did whatever
Jaquan did. Five years
apart, she looked up to him.
He played football and so did
she. She learned to throw
and catch, but the court was
where she belonged.
“I always wanted to be
just like my brother,” she remarked.
“Anything he did I
wanted to do.”
As Dukes came out of
middle school she was one of
the most sought-after incoming
freshmen in the city. Big
time basketball schools like
Christ the King Regional in
Brooklyn and Archbishop
Molloy High School in
Queens clamored after her,
but she wanted to stay close
to home.
So, she settled on Scanlan
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and thrived there. Coach
Chuck and Keelin helped her
mature on and off the court.
“They had a great infl uence
on me,” Dukes commented.
“Both of these gentlemen
gave me the opportunity
to be the fi rst freshman to
play on varsity.”
When it came time for
college she again had offers
from top schools, but chose to
stay local with St. John’s. Being
able to play in Madison
Square Garden was a surreal
feeling, she recalled.
“As a kid from NYC, that
was everyone’s goals and
dreams,” she said.
After playing basketball
in Puerto Rico for a couple
years, she has spent the last
decade coaching.
At fi rst it was an adjustment,
but she soon realized if
she applied her point guard
mentality to coaching, she
could connect with the girls.
“Being a player is totally
different from being
a coach,” she said. “Once I
understood the dynamics of
coaching I started to see how
similar they basketball and
coaching really are.”
Dukes felt her time as a
player, assistant coach and
tutelage from Catalanotto
have prepared for her next
chapter in life.
“I want to continue his
legacy,” she said. “You can
defi nitely say this is full circle
for me.”
From left: Chris Gallagher, Monsignor Scanlan Board President, new Monsignor
Scanlan girls basketball coach Mercedes Dukes, Roja McToy, JV
girls coach Courtesy of Monsignor Scanlan HS
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