TOMS RIVER – Hundreds celebrated Mike Kearney.
An estimated 200 fans honored the Donovan Catholic High School head boys’ basketball coach in conjunction with the Griffins’ 68-65 loss to Middletown North on a recent Saturday afternoon.
Earlier this season, Kearney notched his 500th career win – the figure includes his tenure at Verbum Dei Jesuit High School in Los Angeles where he coached future National Basketball Association star Andre Miller – with a 58-45 conquest of Freehold Boro.
Back to Saturday – unofficially Mike Kearney Day in the gymnasium. The normally unemotional Kearney smiled as he received hugs, handshakes and kisses from admirers. There was a nearly 20-minute pregame ceremony. There was a postgame photo snapped of Kearney with his former players. There were light refreshments in the cafeteria where Kearney mingled with fans.
Public address announcer Tom Connerton, who has coached the Griffins’ girls’ and boys’ tennis teams to a combined 727 wins, led the ceremony, reading from a statement written by athletics director Tom Moriau. The statement kicked off the ceremony.
“Donovan Catholic would like to welcome everyone to Steve Gepp Gym (Kearney played for Gepp’s Griffins) and today’s basketball game between your Donovan Catholic Griffins and the Lions of Middletown North,” the statement began, “but first, we would like to pause and honor coach Mike Kearney as he earned his 500th career win on February 9th at Freehold Boro.
“We are proud to honor coach Michael Kearney today. Coached his first season at Donovan I in 1998-1999. This came after coaching in L.A. for seven years. We thank Mike for building a lasting and winning culture here at Donovan Catholic. This isn’t just about winning games. Mike has inspired and shaped countless young lives. His passion for the game of basketball is contagious. 500 wins proves his commitment to this school, this community and the game of basketball.
“This milestone reflects three and a half decades of hard work, long hours in the gym and unmatched passion. It takes immense dedication to reach this level of sustained success year after year. More than a coach, you are a role model who taught us how to win with integrity. Your ability to build a family – not just a team – is why we are all here to celebrate you. Your legacy will go far beyond the scoreboard. It’s about the culture of excellence and character you have built.
“You have taught your players how to handle pressure, the value of hard work and what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves. Your legacy is evident in the number of former players who return as leaders and mentors. This achievement proves that what you built goes far beyond a single season. This is evident in the number of people here today to help honor you. Thank you for nurturing our players and providing them with team spirit and fostering the resilience they will use in every part of our lives moving forward.
“It takes immense dedication to reach this level of sustained success year after year. Thank you, Mike, for pushing your players to be their best both on and off the court. Thank you for teaching our student-athletes that the lessons on the court apply to life. Success is a journey, not a destination. Coach Kearney has focused on the journey for 500 wins and counting.
“Coach’s greatest joys are his boys, Eamonn and Caleb, and keeping connected with the Donovan community. Eamonn and Caleb have grown up with their father’s vocation and have grown up with a multitude of big brothers and role – models not to mention an outsized extended family. Though coach is often a man of few words, he has been unreservedly outspoken on this front.
“Coach Kearney’s legacy will always be defined by dedication, mentorship and Griffin pride. Mike, we know that your mom (Rita) and dad (William) are smiling down on you today along with your greatest mentor, coach Steve Gepp.”
Kearney and family members, including his wife, Kim; Moriau, interim principal Darryl Heale and the Rev. G. Scott Shaffer, pastor of St. Joseph’s Parish, director of St. Joseph’s Grade School and the director of Donovan Catholic, participated in the ceremony. Kearney received a game ball honoring his 500th win, a blue and white No. 500 jersey, which will commemorate the victory, and a photo montage of his life at Donovan where he teaches English.
A banner will hang in the gymnasium in Kearney’s honor. Kearney also played basketball for the Griffins. He has coached boys’ soccer under Ken Oliver, whose wife, Sue, keeps the clock for the Griffins. Kearney played soccer for the Griffins.
“Thank you and one more round of applause for coach!” the statement concluded.
Kearney received a standing ovation, which included North’s players, coaches and fans, prior to stepping to the mic.
“This has been a wonderful experience for my family,” he said after the ovation. “I did nothing in any game. Those guys won the games. I was along for the ride. Thank you very much.”
Rev. Shaffer followed Kearney, stating, “I texted Mike about his 500th and he said, ‘Yes, I am officially old today.’ This is a very big chapter in the history of our school from St. Joseph to Monsignor Donovan to Donovan Catholic. We try to make a difference in the lives of young people and Mike does that in a beautiful way.”
After leading everyone in The Lord’s Prayer, Rev. Shaffer stated, “May God bless you, Mike, and all that you do.”
Moriau followed, stating, “To your next 500, coach, good luck.”
Some 30 of Kearney’s former players turned out to honor their coach.
“They looked ready to go,” he said with a laugh. “The ceremony was way too much, but it was very nice.”
Against the Lions, Kearney mapped strategy on a clipboard during timeouts. During breaks in the action, he chatted with the referees, seeking advantages for his Griffins.
“Swing it. Gotta go,” he yelled to his team during a half court set. Senior Pat Gallo made the set a success, sinking a three-point shot (one of his two treys en route to a team-high 21 points). The shot beat the first-quarter buzzer. Kearney popped off the bench late in the fourth quarter, signaling traveling against the Lions to the officials to no avail.
What do 500 wins mean to Kearney?
He laughed and told the media at the luncheon, “It means I’ve been around a while and that I have been able to spend really good times with a lot of really good people. Kids appreciate folks who show up and share a love of the game. We help them get better and do well with their buddies. Coaching is something I enjoy. It is something that is meaningful to a lot of people. It’s the kind of thing that keeps you young.
“I am 64 and the relationships keep me in it. Guys come back to coach with me and want to be part of something meaningful. Even when we are losing (the Griffins fell to 7-16), it’s still pretty good.”
Kearney, who estimated his Griffins have won “close to 400 games,” plans to continue to coach.
“I feel good,” he said. “I like what I am doing. I like teaching. I don’t really have a timetable. Keeping up with whatever is new with the youth of America is the most challenging aspect of coaching. What is important to them is probably different from the previous generations. That’s why basketball is such a good bridge to get people to become good guys.”
Kearney, who passed the New Jersey Bar Exam, chose the basketball court over spending time in court. His dad was an Ocean County Superior Court Judge. Kearney tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee as a sophomore while playing for Assumption College where he began coaching. He joined Verbum in 1988 through the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Kearney, who led Verbum to several titles, taught English and also coached junior varsity basketball and was the Dean of English at Verbum.
“I was in California for 10 years,” he said. “Things changed. This is more of my thing. I was not going anywhere. You build up a community and my children had role models. It was a real easy decision to be in a real good community like this one.”
“We needed a coach,” said retired athletics director Denny Toddings, who attended Saturday’s events. “I suggested to Steve Gepp (then the athletics director) to call Mike when he was out in California. I was Mike’s A.D. for many years. He was a talented player, an All-Shore guy. He gets a lot out of his kids. He works hard. He had a lot of opportunities to leave, but he remained loyal to his school. He could have left many, many times.”
Donovan freshman guard forward Gerard Gallo, who scored 14 points and netted two treys before leaving the loss with a low sprain of his left ankle late in the fourth quarter, said of Kearney, “He takes pride in what he does and loves what he does. He is a great coach and I am just excited to be part of this program. He takes pride in us hustling, being there for our teammates and in building a winning culture. Better days are coming. He tells us to stay composed and to do the very best we can.
“He is a very respectful man to every single player on the team. He does camps (Miller has appeared). He puts on a Challenger event on Sundays. He’s big on giving back to the community. He is very loving – always there for the people closest to him. He never gives up. Those are the things I love the most about him. He does everything. He puts a lot into his team. I am thankful he is my coach. I am so blessed to have everything he has given me.”
The 500th win snapped a six-game losing streak. Gerard Gallo, who drained two treys, scored a game-high 21 points. Pat Gallo, who netted one shot from deep, added 18. The Griffins trailed 27-24 at halftime and 19-8 after one quarter. A 15-6 third-quarter surge staked the winners to a 39-33 lead entering the final eight minutes.
“My first thought was we finally got a win,” Kearney said. “We had been struggling. I was happy for our coaches and the guys. We got over the hump. Judging by the kid’s response in the locker room, they apparently knew it was my 500th. I was touched by their response. My players from Los Angeles sent me text messages. That was very nice.
“I knew I was on the cusp of it for a while. Mr. Moriau did a good job of keeping it quiet.”
“Coach (Charles) Russell (an assistant coach) told us after the Brick Memorial game (which began the losing streak) that the 500th was close,” Gerard Gallo said. “He told my brother, Pat, and (junior teammate Gabe) Feliciano to not tell the rest of the team … keep it between us. When he came into the locker room after his 500th, we got excited.”
Gepp led the Griffins to 485 victories in 35 seasons. He died in 2019 at the age of 87.
“He was a player’s coach,” Kearney said. “He was fun to be around. He was knowledgeable, inspiring. He was a very big figure for all of us. He wrote the book on press breakers. He made the game simple by having us move the ball while taking care of our teammates.”
“Coach Kearney talks about coach Gepp and how he was a mentor,” Gerard Gallo said. “He always wanted to honor coach Gepp.”
Kearney enjoys the x’s and o’s of coaching.
“When we are on offense, the defense is always wrong,” he said. “When we are on offense – no matter what the defense does – we are able to adapt, but don’t get me wrong. I do love defense.”
Retired faculty member Glen Effenberger, who coached the Griffins in baseball and ice hockey and kept the clock when Kearney, a 1980 graduate, coached basketball, attended Saturday’s festivities. He noted he taught Kearney and his brothers Kevin, Tim and John.
“Mike has been a good friend for all of these years – since the 1970s,” Effenberger said. “He is a good hearted, kind and dedicated person and an all-around perfect representative of Donovan Catholic High School. He is a dedicated coach. He always has the kid’s best interests at heart. He wants to win. That’s what you want in a coach. He has had some rough times lately, but he’s still giving it his all.”
Miller, a point guard, starred at the University of Utah from 1995-1999. He was drafted eighth on the first round in 1999 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored 16,278 points, averaging 12.5 per game. He handed out 8,524 assists, averaging 6.5 per showing. He grabbed 4,795 rebounds, averaging 3.7 per outing. He led the league in assists in 2002, averaging 10.9 per game. He played for 10 teams, retiring in 2016.
“Coach Kearney remained friends with Andre and took me to one of his games,” Effenberger said. “We chatted for about five to 10 minutes at a Cavs game. During the morning, Andre called my son, Connor, who was maybe eight or nine years old, on the phone just to say, ‘Hi.’ “
Connerton, a 1981 graduate, said he, Kearney and Ken and Sue Oliver have been faculty members since 1998. Ken Oliver coaches boys’ and girls’ cross country, boys’ and girls’ indoor track and field and boys’ and girls’ outdoor track and field at Donovan. Sue Oliver coaches girls’ soccer at Donovan where she graduated.
“Coach Kearney promotes a family atmosphere,” Connerton said. “We all support each other. Today was a pretty good example of that. Ya gotta enjoy being here or you would not stay.”
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