WEST BOYLSTON — Bob Foley wrapped up his 44th season at St. John’s and 61st overall coaching high school basketball on the final day of February.
In April, Foley and his wife, Joan, were taking their annual extended spring vacation in Florida when he received a call from Pioneers athletic director Michael Mead.
Rumors were rampant in Central Mass. the 82-year-old Foley was retiring.
“He called me, and at that time, I was still up in the air,” Foley said. “I had kind of said I would (coach), but then I felt like. … And I was up in the air until a couple of weeks ago.”
That’s when the winningest high school basketball coach in New England history and a five-time hall of fame inductee made the carefully considered choice to step away from the sideline.
“No particular reason; it’s just time,” Foley said Sunday afternoon from his home of 50 years on the condition his decision remain private until he publicly informed the St. John’s community.
“I’ll be 83 in another month or so, and you finally say, ‘I guess it’s time.’ I still love the kids, love coaching and would love to keep doing it, but I think something inside of you says, ‘You know, that’s it.’ ”
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Joan, a fellow Worcester native who is 81 years young and a graduate of North High and Holy Cross, seconded the emotion.
“One day you said you’re going to and the next day you said you’re not,” she said with a smile. “I’ve been living with this for 61 years. One of these days you’re going to wake up and say, ‘It’s time.’ And that’s what he did.”
On Tuesday, Foley informed first-year headmaster Benjamin Horgan, Mead and the Pioneers returning players of his decision to step down after seven decades of guiding, mentoring, supporting, and teaching student-athletes.
It was a group decision for Foley, one that involved Joan and their children, Bob Jr., and Sean.
“She was a big part of it,” Foley said while looking at his wife of 59 years. “We talked about it, and my son Sean thought it was time. He kept saying, ‘You ought to think about retiring.’
“So, to answer your question, it was a joint decision. And our son Bobby is in on it, too.”
Foley retired with a career record of 980-410 (.705), including a mark of 774-246 (.759) over the course of 1,020 games at St. John’s.
“Honestly, you can’t thank the man enough, and his wife Joan, for their dedication and support for St. John’s High School,” Mead said. “Not only for the basketball program, but for all walks of life here – our academics, our community. Bob and Joan Foley are pillars, and they’ve had a remarkable career.
“As he said in our meeting today, ‘Mike, I’m going to quote Frank Sinatra, I did it my way.’ So he’s leaving on his terms, and we can’t thank him enough for his dedication to the program. It’s going to be very tough to fill his shoes.”
Mead said St. John’s will commence a formal coaching search in the coming days.
An all-city selection in football, basketball and baseball at St. Peter’s in Worcester in the late 1950s, Foley earned a basketball scholarship to Holy Cross and went on to captain the Crusaders as a senior during the 1962-63 season. Foley landed his first teaching/coaching job a few months after graduating from HC. He spent six years at Uxbridge High, coaching football, basketball and baseball, before returning to his hometown to become the basketball coach and athletic director at St. Peter’s in 1969.
His teams went a combined 9-33 in the first season at each school.
“People always say, ‘Oh, you’re St. John’s. You (won because you) had the best players,’ ” a tanned and fit Foley said before smiling and shaking his head from side to side. “And I’m sitting there saying, ‘No I didn’t. I’ve been on the other side.’ ”
Foley led the Spartans to a Clark Tournament final in his sixth and final season at Uxbridge. He guided the Crusaders to five Central Mass. championships and a berth in the Division 2 state championship during his 11 seasons at St. Peter’s, which, through a merger, became St. Peter-Marian during his time there.
He finished with records of 35-86 at Uxbridge and 171-78 at St. Peter’s/SPM.
Foley was hired as the basketball coach and assistant athletic director at St. John’s in 1980. He was promoted to AD the following year and served in that capacity for 30 years, all the while becoming the latest in a long line of Pioneer coaching greats.
“To follow in the steps of the coaches who went before me at St. John’s — Charlie Bibeau and before him Joe Lane and before that Bob Devlin,” Foley said.
“It was just something to follow those guys because being raised in Worcester, I used to go and see the Devlin-coached teams, and they were really something.”
Foley, continuing a first-year trend he would have preferred to end, saw the Pioneers finish with a losing record in his inaugural season. From there, it was a string of success.
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The Pioneers qualified for postseason play in each of Foley’s final 43 seasons, during which time they won 14 Central Mass. Division 1 championships, advanced to nine state finals and claimed two state titles, in 2000 and ’09.While some seasons are invariably savored and treasured more than others, Foley wouldn’t play the favorite game when it comes to teams and players.
“There are too many of them,” said Foley, a member of the St. John’s, St. Peter’s/SPM, Holy Cross, Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Association, and New England Basketball halls of fame.
However, Foley did admit winning the 2000 state title was a “big one” as it was the first time a Central Mass. school had finished atop Division 1 since Marvin Stafford-led Holy Name in 1973.
And then there was the run of four straight state championship appearances from 2008 to ’11 with, among others, the LaBove brothers — Matt and Chad, the latter of whom was an assistant to Foley for the past 10 seasons — future NFL player Richard Rodgers, Anthony Trapasso, and David White.
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Foley certainly won’t miss the bus rides to and from Boston that were introduced when St. John’s joined the Catholic Conference four years ago.
But come the first Monday after Thanksgiving, he’ll be wishing he was on the court inside Coaches Pavilion for the start of the winter sports season.
“That’s when I’m in the gym with 100 kids,” Foley said. “That’s when it will really hit me. Yeah, I’ve been blessed to be able to be healthy enough, and my mind is fine and to be able to coach all these years and have the great kids that I had, and the great assistant coaches.
“And having her there, too,” he said while nodding at Joan. “This is 40 years for her on the book, and she’s retiring, too. I love basketball, obviously, so it’s basketball and the kids that I’ll miss.”
Joan officially has been the Pioneers scorekeeper for 40 years and unofficially served as team mom, dispensing candy and offering words of encouragement, sharing hugs and shedding tears in victory and defeat over the course of her husband’s 61-year coaching career.
“It’s always been a big family,” Joan said. “We really have been blessed.”
Bob Jr., who has accumulated 558 wins as his dad’s longtime junior varsity coach, is interested in continuing to coach at St. John’s, where he’s taught physical education for 25-plus years, but not as the head coach.
“He does not want to follow me and live up to whatever that is,” said Foley.
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So what’s next for the Foleys?
Bob, who had heart valve replacement surgery two years ago, and Joan, who’s a youthful 81 years old, walk three miles a day. That won’t change.
They enjoy chatting with their neighbors, spending time with their seven grandchildren and getting together with friends, including another former CMass coaching great, Ann Zelesky, and her twin sister, Kathy, and the LaBove brothers’ parents, Charles and Pam.
Then there’s traveling.
The Foleys have driven across the United States six times and visited 49 states — Alaska being the lone holdout — and most of the country’s 63 national parks.
A trip to the Last Frontier, as the nation’s 49th state is known, Joan suggested to Bob, might make for a nice 60th anniversary present.
“I have a few trips planned,” Joan said. “Things that we never could do because basketball was there. But we both want to be around here in the winter.
“We love going to the games. You not only know the St. John’s boys, but you’ve gotten to know all the coaches of all the other teams and those kids. I just love being around them.”
—Contact Rich Garven at rgarven@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarvenTG.
