St. John’s basketball coach for 44 years, Robert Foley, retires

By Bill Doyle
CFP Correspondent
 
Robert F. Foley met with returning players after school on Tuesday to inform them that he had decided to retire after coaching high school basketball for 61 years, including the last 44 at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury.

After he finished speaking, every one of the St. John’s players shook his hand.

“It was something special,” he told the Catholic Free Press later that day, “because every kid from the first kid on the team to the last kid on the team are all great kids.”

Mr. Foley compiled a 980-410 in his 61 years as a varsity basketball coach. The 980 victories are the most in New England history. So why did he decide to retire?

“I hate to say it, but I’m going to be 83 in a couple of weeks,” said Mr. Foley, whose birthday is Oct. 4. “That’s the major factor. There comes a time when you’ve got to say it’s time to get out of it. I hate to do it because I still love the kids, love basketball, love St. John’s. I feel good, but after 61 years I guess it’s time to move on.”

Mr. Foley admitted he felt a bit emotional while talking to his former players, but he said he did a good job of hiding it. He thinks the players did as well.

After he told the team of his decision to retire, he noticed the gym was loaded with students playing pickup basketball.

“You’re looking at them, saying, ‘Do I have second thoughts?’” he admitted, “but I don’t. Once you’re gone, that’s it.”

Mr. Foley informed the new head of school Benjamin Horgan and athletic director Michael Mead of his decision earlier in the day.

“Coach Foley’s commitment to our mission over the past 44 years has left an indelible mark on our school community on and off the court,” Mr. Horgan said in a statement.

Sean Burke, currently pitching in the Chicago White Sox farm system, was among the many of Foley’s former players who texted him a note of congratulations on his retirement Tuesday.

"Since St. John’s began formally tracking post-graduate athletic commitments, in 1998, over thirty-five of Coach Foley’s players have gone on to play basketball at the collegiate level after graduating," according to a press release from the high school.

Mr. Foley played basketball for St. Peter High School and the College of the Holy Cross, captaining the Crusaders as a senior. After graduating from Holy Cross, he was hired to coach football, basketball and baseball at Uxbridge High. After compiling a 35-86 basketball record in six years at Uxbridge, he coached at St. Peter’s, which later became St. Peter-Marian, for 11 years and built a 171-78 record. In 1980, he was hired to coach basketball at St. John’s and his teams posted a 774-246 record. He also served as St. John’s athletic director for 30 years.

Mr. Foley said the New England record number of victories means a lot to him, but he also learned a lot from his defeats.

“I coach just as hard in games that I lose as in games that I win,” he said. “It’s more being able to coach kids and being healthy enough to coach kids for that many years for that many games.”

Fortunately, Mr. Foley has bounced back from heart valve replacement surgery two years ago.

In 2000, Mr. Foley coached the Pioneers to the Division 1 state championship, the first by a Central Mass. school since Marvin Safford led Holy Name Central Catholic High School to the title in 1973. In 2009, Foley coached St. John’s to a second state title.

St. John’s reached the state finals four years in a row from 2008-2011. It still bugs Mr. Foley that the Pioneers lost in the 2010 final by a point to Lawrence Central Catholic.

Seniors Nick Barnes and Jack Forgues and sophomore Jackson Fournier will head what is expected to be another strong team this winter.

Athletic director Michael Mead will head a search committee to find Mr. Foley’s replacement. Mr. Foley’s son, Bob Jr., has posted 558 victories in 25 years as St. John’s junior varsity coach, but Mr. Foley said his son would like to remain as JV coach and has no interest in replacing him as varsity coach.

Mr. Foley and his wife, Joan, also have a son Sean and seven grandchildren.

In addition to capturing two state titles, Foley’s St. John’s teams won 14 Central Mass. Division 1 championships and reached nine state finals. He has also been inducted to five halls of fame, by St. John’s, St. Peter-Marian, Holy Cross, the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

Mr. Foley has a long list of accomplishments, but when asked what he was most proud of during his coaching career, he once again mentioned his players.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “I love the kids. That’s what brought me back for 61 years. If the kids weren’t good kids, if I didn’t enjoy them, I would have retired a long time ago. Good kids make you come back.”

Except for the six years he coached at Uxbridge High, Mr. Foley attended or worked at Catholic schools his entire life. He attended St. Peter Central Catholic Elementary School, St. Peter’s High School and Holy Cross. So he knows the importance of a Catholic education.

Mr. Foley said his decision to retire will really hit home when basketball practice starts the Monday after Thanksgiving.

“There will be 100 kids in the gym trying out,” he said, “and that’s when it will finally, totally dawn on me that it’s over.”

After last season ended, Mr. Foley considered retirement for quite a while before finally deciding a couple of weeks ago to step down.

“He had to think an awful long time on it,” Mrs. Foley said, “and it’s very difficult to walk away from something you love. If it makes him happy and if he’s going to stay healthy, I think it’s a good decision.”
 
When Mr. Foley watches from a folding chair at the end of the gym as the Pioneers play this winter, he plans to focus on the game.

“I don’t like anyone sitting near me because then I’ve got to talk,” he said. “Except my wife.”
Mr. Foley pointed out that Joan is retiring as well. She was the official scorekeeper for the Pioneers for the last 40 years.

“She helped me win,” Mr. Foley said. “She is great with the kids. She’s very friendly with the parents and keeps me out of trouble.”

Mrs. Foley will miss watching her husband coach even though she joked that her heart went into atrial fibrillation a few times during games.

“Your heart is in your throat constantly,” she said, “because you want the best for the kids, you want to see them win and I know how much he puts into it. You cannot believe the notes this man has in this house from over 61 years. He knew every team, every player. He was an old-fashioned coach. He went and scouted, he watched the games, he watched the players. So to watch him coach, it was like watching a symphony. It was great.”

Mr. Foley kept notes on his players and opposing players. He felt it was important to know the names of the opposing players as well. He even knew if the opposing players were right-handed or left-handed so he would know which hand to shake after games.  

The Foleys enjoy traveling and they planned to head to New Hampshire with Joan’s sister Judy Foley at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

“To see if the mountains are still there,” he said. “I haven’t been there for a while.”

It’s the end of an era at St. John’s.

“When I met him my senior year in college,” Mrs. Foley said, “I never thought we’d go on this ride.”

But it’s been a great ride.

“I am the luckiest person in the world,” she said. “It’s been a wonderful ride. We’ve been very blessed and very lucky. How many people can say that about life?”