SHREWSBURY, MASS. (WHDH) – After 61 years coaching high school basketball, Bob Foley’s career has reached the final buzzer.
Having won nearly 1,000 games and two state titles, the longtime St. John’s High School varsity coach is retiring ahead of the upcoming season.
Foley spoke with 7NEWS on Tuesday and reflected on his career.
“I’m sitting there watching all the kids playing and all of a sudden, you say, ‘Maybe I ought to rethink it,’” he said.
Foley spent more than four decades with St. John’s. Over the years, he won more games than any other high school basketball coach in New England.
Frequently asked how he keeps going year after year, Foley said his players and their parents were his motivation.
“I love basketball,” he said. “And I love St. John’s.”
Foley earned a reputation during his tenure for being hard on the hardwood but compassionate off the court.
St. John’s Assistant Coach Chad LaBove previously played for Foley and was part of a 2009 St. John’s team that won a state title. Now working alongside his former coach, LaBove said Foley is “like a father to all of us.”
“He was always prepared and he was always ready,” LaBove said. “I think, for me, outside of just basketball, I think that’s something that myself and my teammates always learned. Always be prepared and that’s how you’re going to be able to be successful in life on the court and off the court.”
For team captain Jack Forgues, playing under Foley is a family rite of passage after both his dad and his uncle called Foley “coach.”
“Just the fact that I got to play for him, it’s been an absolute privilege,” Forgues said.
When it comes to what sets Foley apart, Forgues said it’s not just the trophies or the accolades.
Rather, Forgues said Foley’s real legacy is the mark of kindness he left on the St. John’s community.
“He made us better basketball players,” Forgues said. “But he also developed us into young men. It’s something I’ll always be grateful for.”
For anyone who aspires to follow in Foley’s footsteps, he shared a message about how he did it — “I had to work like heck.”
Facing the tall task of replacing Foley, St. John’s officials said they have formed a committee to find their next basketball head coach.
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