90 THE QUEENS COURIER • MARCH 21, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com s sports GENERATIONS LIVED TO PLAY FOR MOLLOY’S COACH CURRAN GOODBYE LEGEND TO BY TERENCE M. CULLEN AND ANTHONY O’REILLY [email protected] Those who knew, or played for, longtime Archbishop Molloy High School coach Jack Curran said he had a lasting effect on the entire school community. “I’ve talked to alumni who told me, ‘I didn’t play for him, but I always felt like he was my coach,’” said Molloy athletic director Mike McCleary, who worked with the legendary skipper for the last 15 years. “He had a major effect, and made it into an extraordinary school.” Curran died Thursday, March 14 peacefully in his sleep. He was 83. Between coaching varsity basketball and varsity baseball, Curran touted a combined record of 2,680-960. The Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) honored him as “Coach of the Year” 25 times for baseball and 22 times for basketball. Curran steered Molloy to 17 baseball CHSAA city championships and five basketball CHSAA city championships during his 55-year career. “I think he was the best coach there ever was,” McCleary said of Curran’s life’s work. “But he was an even better person.” McCleary subbed as basketball coach during the last three weeks of this season, after Curran broke his right knee cap during a fall outside of his Westchester home last month. Assistant coaches from each team will take on some of Curran’s duties, but McCleary said an official replacement had not been determined. Curran came to Molloy in 1958 after the head basketball coaching position opened up when Lou Carnesecca moved to St. John’s for his own lengthy career. Carnesecca, in a statement from St. John’s, said Curran had an unmatchable record, and a way of mentoring young players. “The individuals that he produced at Molloy form an outstanding group,” Carnesecca said. “And he went out of his way to help so many over the years that were not from Molloy. Jack Curran was a giant of scholastic athletics, and that is an understatement.” During his career, Curran helped foster a number of professional baseball and basketball players into illustrious college and major league careers, including current Mets outfielder Mike Baxter, 1972 Team USA Olympic basketball captain Kevin Joyce and current University of Louisville guard Russ Smith. Before a pre-season game in Florida on March 14, Baxter was reported to have wiped tears from his eyes when addressing reporters on the loss of his high school coach. That night, an equally mournful Smith put up 28 points as the Cardinals moved a game ahead in the Big East Tournament. “It was really hard for me to take it all in because a guy like Coach, obviously, he’s older but you just wouldn’t think twice of him ever passing,” Smith said after the game. “It was really, really hard for me to just focus ahead and to just put it all together. I really have no words, but I miss him a lot. I’m going to miss him.” McCleary said his friend had the ability to work with young players, making them better. “Where he always exceled is being able to relate to the studentathletes to get them to do what needs to be done,” he said. Some of Curran’s current players, including catcher Carlos Balnaceda, were shocked to hear their coach had passed away. “I heard the news when I was going into my homeroom class,” said Balnaceda, who played a year-anda half under Curran. “And at first I laughed, because I didn’t want to believe it. I know it’s cliché but I thought he would be around forever and never leave.” Balnaceda said wanted to play for Curran at Molloy since he was in elementary school, and be a part of the tradition the coach instilled over the decades. “By the time I was in seventh grade, I knew I wanted to come to Molloy just to play for him,” he said. “I heard so many stories — he’s an icon.” THE COURIER/File photo Longtime Archbishop Molloy High School coach Jack Curran died on March 14. He coached basketball and baseball at the school over a 55-year career. A LONGTIME COACH JACK CURRAN PASSES AWAY
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