The Holy Cross High School family and several members of the Greater Waterbury community gathered together to honor long-time teacher, coach and friend Ed "Coach G" Generali. President Peg Leger, along with former players, colleagues and friends, dedicated the Ed Generali Court in Holy Cross's Timothy J. McDonald Gymnasium.
"It's been a great journey," said Mr. Generali. "The students I have guided and the players I have coached have been the most important part of my journey. I hope, when all is said and done, I have made a positive impact in someone's life. This unbelievable honor has left me in awe and I am appreciative of the Holy Cross Community for making this happen!"
"We are very proud of what Coach G has done on this court," said Mrs. Leger. "However, it is his contributions as an educator that we admire most. Coach G has always been a very strong leader on and off the court."
Other special guest speakers included Father Michael Casey '05 from the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, State Representative Jeffrey Berger and former players, Mike Mallory '12, Frank Lombardo '85, Ryan Olsen '97 and Mike Phelan '89. Lou Paternostro '95 served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies.
"As a coach, you win. You lose," said Mr. Berger. "At the end of the day, you affect what people are going to do for the rest of their lives. What they are going to do will impact their families, their friends and their neighbors. Ed Generali has lived that his whole life."
Mike Mallory recalled how Mr. Generali was there for him when his grandmother passed away while he was a student at Holy Cross. "He was more than a coach to me," said Mr. Mallory. "He was a great man. Coach G has always been someone that I can call upon."
Mr. Lombardo, current Holy Cross Girls' Varsity Basketball Coach, spoke about all that he learned when he was a player on Mr. Generali's guidance. "He taught me a lot," said Mr. Lombardo. "Three things come to mind when I think of Coach G: first, his passion for basketball.....second, his ability to motivate his players.....lastly, how he incorporated his basketball players into his family."
"Coach G is the type of guy who would do absolutely anything for his players at absolutely any time," said Coach Olsen. "It didn't matter if you were his All-State superstar, the last man on the bench or the manager for his team. Once you were part of his program, you were forever family."
Director of Alumni Relations and Special Events, Mike Phelan '89 recalled how Mr. Generali encouraged his players to make a positive impact to their local communities. "He encouraged us, as players and students, to volunteer at soup kitchens and shelters on Sunday nights or to work with the Special Olympics."
Mr. Generali's coaching career spans over three decades. Thirty-one years were spent at Holy Cross where he coached boys and girls basketball. During that time, he led the Crusaders to eight Naugatuck Valley League (NVL) Championships and two State Championships in 1995 and 2000. As Head Coach of the girls' team, he won three NVL titles and was runner-up in Class LL in 1988. He won 553 games over his entire career.