It was a celebration of Brian Giorgis -- that fittingly happened to be at a basketball game. That’s what Saturday at McCann Center on the Marist College campus felt like. Outside, it was freezing cold and a little snowy, but inside, there was nothing but warmth and love.
Yes, the Red Foxes were playing a game, against Niagara and Giorgis mentee Jayda Pierce, but many were all there for the man who led Marist for 21 years.
“It’s been a wonderful ride, it really has,” the long-time head coach said as he addressed the crowd, fighting back tears.
Giorgis’ career is somewhat unique, going from a high school coach straight to a Division I head coach. He spent 19 seasons at Our Lady of Lourdes in Poughkeepsie. He coached pretty much every sport there, including basketball, baseball, softball and volleyball. But it was basketball that was his passion.
Arguably the most feared high school team in New York state, it was after winning four straight state championships at Lourdes that Giorgis decided that Marist was “a chance for a new challenge.”
Giorgis, speaking with his signature Diet Coke right next to him, said the decision was solidified after coaching in the Mecca of women’s basketball in Storrs, Connecticut.
“I coached an All-American game at Storrs in front of Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird and said ‘it’s time for another challenge,’” he said. “Plus I had players here already that I coach high school who helped. They told the team here when I came, ‘listen to what he says, not how he says it.”’
The group from Our Lady of Lourdes, which included Maureen Magarity, Kristin Keller and Kristen Vilardi, were at Marist to make the transition even easier.
In his first year, he admits “we struggled.” In the second year, while they were picked to finish seventh in the MAAC, they won the conference championship and started a dynasty most coaches can only dream about. It includes 11 MAAC Championships, including a run of nine in a row, five NCAA tournament wins and a Sweet 16 appearance.
Giorgis attributes that to several factors, none of which are himself.
"My kids play,” he said. “They commit themselves. They sacrifice.”
Giorgis credits the parents of his atheltes too.
“These kids have been blessed because they’ve had parents, like you, who raised them the right way,” he said. “We may not have been the best team or most talented team, but we were always classy and the most respectful.”
That last part, I can attest to, having covered Marist for years. Giorgis’ teams were talented, but being one of the best coaches in the nation, he got everything out of his players. They competed against everyone and were in every single game no matter the opponent or how many All-Americans were on the team they were facing. They left some of the top teams in the nation speechless after beating them, never showing them up or disrespecting the after that win because Giorgis had them believing they should win. Act like you’ve been there. That was the Red Foxes. I watched Coach Giorgis out-coach what were considered to be the best coaches in the country. You never believed they couldn’t win any game.
Being back at Marist this week, once again covering the Red Foxes reminded of why Giorgis and his team were one of my favorites to cover. It’s Brian, the team, the fans and the community. It just feels comfortable. And, to be honest, I didn’t get to cover the team nearly as much as I would have liked. But I always felt like I was part of the Red Foxes community. That starts with Giorgis.
Giorgis is a very religious man. He spoke a lot about God at his final home game. He said God brought him 500 miles from home in Ohio to Lourdes in Poughkeepsie with a plan. That plan led to a life and legacy that’s almost unimaginable, but the most important part is the lives Giorgis touched and changed. I hope someday he sees and understands that, but I guess it’s just not that time.
“This is not a celebration of me,” he said. “It’s a celebration of the players. They made me, I didn’t make them.”