Coaching change for Niagara Catholic hoops

Niagara Catholic has made a coaching change in its boys basketball program.

The school and coach Chuck Sprigg, who was in his fifth season coaching the Patriots, have parted ways by mutual agreement.

Assistants Bob Lewis, Eric Fields and Brian Hall will lead the program for the rest of this season, according to Niagara Catholic Athletic Director Larry Puzan.

"Coach Sprigg and the administration mutually agreed that as of after Sunday night's game against Canisius ... he has left the program," said Puzan. "Right now we haven't named a new head coach and our coaching staff is taking the program through the remainder of the season."

Puzan said the school would begin a search for a new coach at the conclusion of the season.

Sunday's 79-75 home loss to Canisius put Niagara Catholic at 6-11 this season with a 3-6 record in the Monsignor Martin Association. The Patriots host St. Mary's tonight at 7:30 p.m. before playing at Cardinal O'Hara on Friday, at St. Francis Feb. 12 and at Canisius Feb. 19.

Prior to coaching at Niagara Catholic, Sprigg was an assistant and junior varsity coach at Canisius for 11 years.

---Keith McShea

Comments

[JL]

Sean,

I have seen St Marys play twice this year and they were right in the the game against St Francis and Canisius. I do not get what you are saying about being competitive. I would love to see another coach who would have been in those games with that team.

[Sean Bruso]

FF. im not disagreeing with you nor do i think on a yearly basis it can with the large difference in enrollment. i just was saying i think they could be more competitive given their coaches background and the fact they might draw some more kids. st. mary's is bigger then nc and o'hara and is far less competitive. but i definitely see ur points

[FF]

What do you want from ST. Mary's... if you want them to compete against the big boys its not going to happen. The only time I saw it happen was when O'Hara did it in the mid 90's. Let me tell you, Price & Cochran's first choice was not O'Hara. They were talented kids and where one went the other followed. If Tom Keenan was at CHS at the time they were in 8th grade they would have been wearing the Blue & Gold. Let me ask you a question? you have a chance to choose between Joes, Can, Franies 7 St. Mary's where are you going? They will continue to get second and third tier kids. The slipper never fit and never will. The guy is doing the best job he can with the liimited resources available.

[centercourt]

See my comments posted in Fab Friday responding to
one who knows...nothing

[Sean Bruso]

i think all your points are all truthful in describing the state of basketball at st. mary's. i know they had some success in the early 2000's and after they made a coaching change not much positive things have happened. they are competitive with everyone in baseball & football and there should be no reason why it can't be done in hoops. their coach is never out getting after kids and hardly anyone knows who he is unless your familiar with his past at st. joes. they need someone who is inspired to make kids believe they have an opportunity to play and compete. we will see if that can happen

[1 who knows]

Spriggs let the inmates run the assylum and this is what happens. You guys can say what ever you want about Coach Spriggs, but he never took contol of this group of kids.With their big three they sould have been one of the best teams in the area but constantly underacheived.I would go to games these kids would disrespect him during games yell at him , curse at him and I heard it was worse behind the scences. If you cant handle a 17 or 18 year old you are in the wrong profession.

[FF]

MJ,

Point well take. But I think that you have to be realistic here. I think that I would be looking for St. Mary's to be as competitive as they can vs teams like Joes & Canisius & maybe competitive is by being within 15-20 pts against those teams. I think that there is a tremendous disparity not only in athletic programs but in education and tradition. You have a very ambitiuos attitude, but I believe that St. Mary's has it's limitations.

[JL]

The best thing NC could do would be close the school. They obviously let the kids run the program. They are the laughing stock every year in every sport.

[MJ]

He is doing a good coaching job, but he's obviously not recruiting as well as Joe's and Canisius. He needs to get to as many grammar school games as he can, talk to the kids and their parents, extoll the virtues of the school and gym, which makes Joe's and Canisius look they are back in the 50s, hold clinics, summer camps and call these kids and their parents at home. It has worked at Canisius and St. Joe's so why not St. Mary's.

[FF]

NC what a joke. Joke school, joke program, they didnt know how good they had it with Sprigg, they think it is bad just wait

[FF]

The coach at St. Mary's is doing a great job. I have seen them play and with the talent they have he is doing a heck of a job. Let's face it,talent wise, they are one step above JV girls. He coaches those kids hard and expects alot, he expects to win. He came from St. Joes where he has lost more games one year then his whole career at Joes. These parents need to get a grip on reality.

[Tom Keenan]

I am agreeing with the Niagara Gazette article when it comes to Chuck. I just mis-worded my comment. I apologize for the mistake. The journalist hit the nail on the head.

[tierfan]

Tom, if i remember reading the article correctly back in december it called out the players and not coach sprigg. in fact i think it even said that he had hoped they would realize what a chance they have. and now after looking back, whoever wrote that article is looking smarter by the day since its those same kids that ultimately revolted and got their coach fired. i agree, though, with your statement that sprigg is a nice guy and deserved better. nc is a joke of a school right now. go maple grove!!!

[Tom Keenan]

I just heard of the recent dismissal of Chuck Sprigg as boys basketball coach at Niagara Catholic and was shocked. I have known Chuck for close to 15 years. He coached me at Canisius HS when I played for my dad and worked under him for a year at Niagara Catholic in '04-'05. During the years that I have known him, not one person in this profession works harder or cares more about their kids than Chuck.
In December the Niagara Gazette called him out for standing behind his players, when no one else does and now, he is dismissed because he makes his players accountable for their actions and certain people within his program don't agree with that.
Chuck has done more for these kids and the program at Niagara Catholic than any other coach has ever done. He paid out of his own pockets so these kids could go to Team Camps and Summer Leagues. He goes out of his way to pick these kids up and drive them to practice, games or home after a long evening of basketball. He opens the gym during the summer so these kids can come in and work out. These are the same kids that "quit" on him and that is Chuck's fault.
Shame on you Mr Puzan, for taking the side of players who weren't getting the playing time they deserved because of their actions and to a group of assistant coaches who couldn't coach their way out of a paper bag. I always told Chuck to watch his back over there.
You may not always agree with Chuck's coaching style or his x's and o's, but, no one works harder or cared more about the basketball program at Niagara Catholic than Chuck. In his 4+ years there, he helped (with the players help) to build a competitive basketball program, one that school never had. It is sad that a man who is well known and respected in WNY basketball loses his job due to backstabbing and poor attitudes of student-athletes.

[JL]

Intersting stuff...... but lets be honest they never did anything before 2004. I thought with the facilities they would get some athletes but I was wrong. The football team could not compete with O'Hara and piled wins against nobody. The baseball team has not won anything in years. I am assuming this is not a very disarable job.

[Sean Bruso]

not sure but just heard some rumblings that something might happen. they have not done much as a program since they won the state title in 04' and i know they have a new AD there.

[JL]

Sean,

I would love to see who St Mary's would get to do a better job. They have been competitive this year with minimal talent. As a random fan who no allegiance to any schools I find that a little strange. I can see NC moving in a differnet direction.

[Sean Bruso]

i heard the same thing might happen at St. Mary's soon.

[hsbballfan]

Here's a link to an article in the Niagara Gazette on the ousting of Coach Chuck Sprigg at Niagara Catholic.

http://www.niagara-gazette.com/sports/gnnsports_story_037020309.html

While I don't know the gentleman, sure sounds like a first-class act through and through. Good luck Mr. Sprigg!