Coach Jack Alesi retires from Xaverian HS

A seven time CHSAA Coach of the Year with a career record of 345-250, Xaverian's Jack Alesi has made his mark over the past 21 years as one of the top coaches in New York City. He is a two time CHSAA Champion, winning the title first in 2005 and then for a second time this past season, but after careful consideration the legendary Alesi decided to call it a career, announcing his retirement on Thursday,

It was a decision that was actually decided before this past season in which the Clippers went all the way to win the CHSAA Class "AA" Championship taking down Bishop Loughlin 59-56, and a decision Alesi says he had been contemplating for a number of years now.

"I had been thinking about this for a few years now, and actually seriously considered it after last season when we got to the CHSAA title game and lost to Christ the King," Alesi admitted. "I decided though to do it one more year and knew before this past season that this was going to be it."

He may have known but not many others did. He kept the information on his decision to just a handful of family members, one of whom was his son and Xaverian assistant coach Chris Alesi.

While others may have been thinking about the end as their final season played out, Alesi says he never really thought about it focusing on doing all he could to lead this team as far as he could. The only times he really ever thought about his impending retirement during the season was when he says the younger Alesi made reference to how amazing it would be to go out as a City Champion, something the retiring head coach said he laughed off.

"I think Chris mentioned that once to me after we lost to Curtis or something," Alesi said with a laugh. "I would say that winning a city championship was always a dream, but we never set goals like that."

Dreams do come true though as this season proved for the Clippers, and while the team didn't know at the time, they were sending off Alesi in the most special way possible, as a champion.

He held off on announcing his retirement because he wanted the focus to be on the seniors and their graduation, and not talk about his career. Alesi wanted the seniors to celebrate the fact that they won a championship and not have anything take away from that until they received their diplomas, and admirable decision from an admirable man.

"I am not Jack Curran, I didn't want this to be a big deal and it wasn't something I wanted to capitalize on or anything," Alesi stated. "I actually thought about not announcing at all and just not being on the sideline at the start of next season and see if anyone noticed."

It is that kind of attitude that makes Alesi so special though. Always humble and one to give as much credit as possible to the players and his assistant coaches, Alesi will be missed by all who were around him on the sidelines, and that while he may watch more St. John's games and play more golf he says fear not, that while he is retiring from coaching he will remain present at important games throughout the CHSAA season, especially big Clippers games as the man who started as the freshmen coach for the Bay Ridge, Brooklyn school in 1978 will always be there cheering the team on.

He may be stepping away from the sidelines but he will never be forgotten as he will be remembered as one of the top coaches in CHSAA history, regardless if he believes that or not.

Leaving on his own terms when he wanted to, Alesi will be remembered as a class act and a coach who got the very best out of every player who was lucky enough to Lear from him, and while he will miss the first day of practice in November, and the playoffs runs in March he is happy knowing he did things the way he wanted, the right way.

"I didn't get into coaching for the wins and the losses. In high school you pretty much just coach who comes into the school and the one goal I always had was to do things the right way and not have someone say I am glad I am not playing for him anymore," Alesi finished by saying.

No one could ever say that because Alesi was first class all the way, and anyone who played for him left Xaverian knowing they got better each day not just as a player, but as a person as well.