Remembering an old Friend and Great Coach Tim Leary

                                Before I begin writing this story I must first extend condolences to the family coach Tim Leary, who passed away this morning after a battle with cancer.

                He is remembered primarily as the boys’ varsity coach at St. Francis Prep, a job he held for 43 seasons and where he won over 600 games. Although all but a small portion of his coaching life was spent at the Prep campus on Francis Lewis Boulevard he was, for lack of better phrases, both a Brooklyn lifer and a basketball lifer.

    As a young athlete he was a two-sport star, in baseball and basketball, for The Prep when the school was located in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. As a senior in 1963 he lead the Little Terriers to the CHSAA’s intersectional final where they lost to Power Memorial and the Hall of Fame center known then as Lew Alcindor and known now as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His skill and competitiveness in both baseball and basketball helped him earn a scholarship to Manhattan College in Riverdale.

     Following his graduation from Manhattan, he began coaching both varsity baseball at St. Francis Prep and varsity basketball at St. Augustine High School in Brooklyn where he took over for the legendary Charlie O’Donnell.  When that school closed in 1969, he became jv hoops coach at St. Francis before moving to the varsity level at the 1973-74 season. He remained in that position until his retirement at the end of the 2017 season.

                On paper Coach Leary’s legacy will include 10 division titles, 600 wins and an “A” division title in 1992. But for a coaching lifer like Tim the numbers aren’t really what matters. During the 1980’s and ‘90’s when it seemed like every team in the CHSAA had talented prospects, Mr. Leary’s teams were often referred to as “the Princeton of our league” by the coaches he competed against. That meant his teams were disciplined and smart on offense while being tough and rugged on defense. Former players such as Rashad Bell and Bryan Geffen excelled at the division one level and as professionals overseas. While many others continued to play basketball at the D-II and D-III levels. In addition to his coaching Mr. Leary touched kids lives as a teacher at John Ericsson Middle School in Brooklyn.  Perhaps because of his experience as both a coach and teacher he will also be remembered for both his direct way of speaking and his sense of humor. Conversations with him were often funny and always brief and informative. He always made his point clearly and succinctly. Rest in Peace old friend yours was a life well lived in service to the children of our city.