Moriarty To Retire After 75 Different Seasons Of Coaching
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Mark [email protected]
“Let’s make sure people know it’s 75 seasons of coaching, and 75 different teams, not 75 years of coaching. I’m not in my 90s,” he said with the grin people in Viking Nation have grown used to and fond of.
It all started in 1985 when Moriarty coached fifth and sixth grade boys basketball. Over the years he’s coached both genders, all grade levels, in basketball and his true passion, golf.
“I especially love the game of golf. And I love to see young people grow, develop and mature at the high school level, from the time they’re freshmen,” he said. “They mature and make better decisions, and they’re usually pretty good kids. The kids are what I love the most about coaching, and what I’ll miss the most.”
He said he’s had a lot of fun along the way, and having a few wins helped, too.
“We’ve had some success along the way, which helps. We’ve had 10 (Three Rivers Conference) championships, we went to state in 2000 and had another year where we should have gone to state.
“So we’ve had some success and it’s always fun to watch those kids and the enjoyment they get out of the game is a big part of the enjoyment I get out of the game that I’ve been playing since I was nine years old.”
The reason for retirement has less to do with age and more to do with what Moriarty considers to be a essential part of coaching.
“It’s a mobility issue. I’m still young at heart, and I feel good except for my knees. My knees have deteriorated to the point it’s awful hard for me to get out and demonstrate some of the things I need to show them,” he said. “Yeah, I have all that stuff in my head yet, but to get and actually do it (is difficult).
“I just think the kids deserve better and deserve a coach that can show them how to be successful. That doesn’t mean I won’t be out on the golf course, but the mobility is why I’m getting out.”
Moriarity is among those who believe sports is a good training ground for life lessons.
“Even yesterday in practice, I didn’t think the kids were giving it their all, 100 percent. That’s not the way I played or coached, and if you can’t give it 100 percent then it’s time to do something else,” Moriarty said. “Be dedicated to what you’re doing, no matter what it is. Follow up on your commitments and most of the time things will probably go your way.
“Once you pick out something you love, it’s hard to not stay with it. If you can’t stay with it 100 percent, then fine, do something else that trips your trigger.”
I asked him “what does the future hold for Coach Moriarty?” Since I gave him a third-person question, he game me a third-person answer in a fun-loving way.
“Coach Moriarty would love to travel with his wife a little bit more. I’ve got some grandkids that I love to go watch them do things. I’ve not been able to see them all, but I’ve been to a lot of their events and I’d like to see them all. I have a granddaughter that plays golf, of course, so I will definitely have time to play with her.
“And of course there’s always some sort of Valley sport to go and watch.
“I’ll have plenty of things to do and watch, and I’ll spend more time with my wife. She’s looking forward to me being home, and I looking forward to being home, too.”[[In-content Ad]]
“Let’s make sure people know it’s 75 seasons of coaching, and 75 different teams, not 75 years of coaching. I’m not in my 90s,” he said with the grin people in Viking Nation have grown used to and fond of.
It all started in 1985 when Moriarty coached fifth and sixth grade boys basketball. Over the years he’s coached both genders, all grade levels, in basketball and his true passion, golf.
“I especially love the game of golf. And I love to see young people grow, develop and mature at the high school level, from the time they’re freshmen,” he said. “They mature and make better decisions, and they’re usually pretty good kids. The kids are what I love the most about coaching, and what I’ll miss the most.”
He said he’s had a lot of fun along the way, and having a few wins helped, too.
“We’ve had some success along the way, which helps. We’ve had 10 (Three Rivers Conference) championships, we went to state in 2000 and had another year where we should have gone to state.
“So we’ve had some success and it’s always fun to watch those kids and the enjoyment they get out of the game is a big part of the enjoyment I get out of the game that I’ve been playing since I was nine years old.”
The reason for retirement has less to do with age and more to do with what Moriarty considers to be a essential part of coaching.
“It’s a mobility issue. I’m still young at heart, and I feel good except for my knees. My knees have deteriorated to the point it’s awful hard for me to get out and demonstrate some of the things I need to show them,” he said. “Yeah, I have all that stuff in my head yet, but to get and actually do it (is difficult).
“I just think the kids deserve better and deserve a coach that can show them how to be successful. That doesn’t mean I won’t be out on the golf course, but the mobility is why I’m getting out.”
Moriarity is among those who believe sports is a good training ground for life lessons.
“Even yesterday in practice, I didn’t think the kids were giving it their all, 100 percent. That’s not the way I played or coached, and if you can’t give it 100 percent then it’s time to do something else,” Moriarty said. “Be dedicated to what you’re doing, no matter what it is. Follow up on your commitments and most of the time things will probably go your way.
“Once you pick out something you love, it’s hard to not stay with it. If you can’t stay with it 100 percent, then fine, do something else that trips your trigger.”
I asked him “what does the future hold for Coach Moriarty?” Since I gave him a third-person question, he game me a third-person answer in a fun-loving way.
“Coach Moriarty would love to travel with his wife a little bit more. I’ve got some grandkids that I love to go watch them do things. I’ve not been able to see them all, but I’ve been to a lot of their events and I’d like to see them all. I have a granddaughter that plays golf, of course, so I will definitely have time to play with her.
“And of course there’s always some sort of Valley sport to go and watch.
“I’ll have plenty of things to do and watch, and I’ll spend more time with my wife. She’s looking forward to me being home, and I looking forward to being home, too.”[[In-content Ad]]
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