Jack Phalen has died

[ET7774]

Jack Phelan, former University of Hartford men’s basketball coach, Farmington High athletic director, dies at age 66

Jack Phelan, the former University of Hartford men’s basketball coach who was the athletic director at Farmington High for 17 years, died suddenly Monday morning. He was 66. Phelan, of West H…

www.courant.com

 

[mauconnfan]

Sad news great guy. Met him at a couple camps when I was younger and my brother played in a summer league with and against him back in the day. Undersized forward that had a tremendous game, hops, shoot it and tough as nails. And as a person I didn't know him but people I knew who did, just a super human being.

RIP Jack

 

[AreBee1969]

I first met Coach when I attended Bill Dietrich's hoop camp at St. Thomas Moore School in 1985. He held a motivational session for all the campers that resonates with me to this day.

He was the Athletic Director at Farmington High School at the time of his passing, where my daughters attended/attend. I introduced myself to him a few years ago at FHS and told him about how much that speech affected me and he was so humble about it. He then proceeded to tell me more about my daughter's sports career than I knew. He also knew I had a athlete coming up from middle school. From what people tell me, this was the norm. He knew every athlete and knew what went on in every game, not just the Ws and Ls. From that one meeting, he called me by name every time I saw him. I liked the guy immensely.

RIP Coach.

 

[Excalibur]

I first met Coach when I attended Bill Dietrich's hoop camp at St. Thomas Moore School in 1985. He held a motivational session for all the campers that resonates with me to this day.

He was the Athletic Director at Farmington High School at the time of his passing, where my daughters attended/attend. I introduced myself to him a few years ago at FHS and told him about how much that speech affected me and he was so humble about it. He then proceeded to tell me more about my daughter's sports career than I knew. He also knew I had a athlete coming up from middle school. From what people tell me, this was the norm. He knew every athlete and knew what went on in every game, not just the Ws and Ls. From that one meeting, he called me by name every time I saw him. I liked the guy immensely.

RIP Coach.

Phelan's camp was the first I ever attended in the mid-1980's as a kid. I also remember Bill Dietrich's camp, which was the best run hoops camp I ever saw.

 

[AreBee1969]

Phelan's camp was the first I ever attended in the mid-1980's as a kid. I also remember Bill Dietrich's camp, which was the best run hoops camp I ever saw.

Dietrich's camp was amazing and really fun. Best camp experience I had regardless of the sport. My team coach was Larry Menta from Southern and he was an absolute maniac! I thought he was going to stroke out when we lost in the camp finals. He, like Phelan was also a great guy.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Dietrich's camp was amazing and really fun. Best camp experience I had regardless of the sport. My team coach was Larry Menta from Southern and he was an absolute maniac! I thought he was going to stroke out when we lost in the camp finals. He, like Phelan was also a great guy.

Ice!

 

[ucp990411]

I remember Jack from his days at Northwest, he was the type of player his opponents would despise yet admire because he was so intense and competitive. In 2002 I took a coaching class taught by Bill Carderelli with Jack and became good friends with him. I then coached at a Northwest conference rival and our friendship continued. I experienced a personal tragedy and Jack was great with his empathy and support. A truly great person who I respected very much. Thank you Jack for being a friend, you will be missed.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I went to Jack Phelan's basketball camp at UHart when I was a kid and he was a great guy. I remember having to go from one end of the camp to the other, and he brought me in his car and stopped to get us snow cones! It was so hot out that day.

When I got older, I played against one of his sons and Jack was the coach. This was West Hartford vs. Wethersfield, and we were the 2 best teams in the league. They smoked us the first time around around, but at the end of the season we evened up the series.

RIP to a Hartford basketball legend, and an overall great guy.

 

[Chantry1101]

He had a positive impact on a lot of lives, including mine. He was drafted in the NBA and NFL. He was a father figure to many of his players and a mentor to all. A very caring person who seemed to remember so many details about so many people.

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[Bonk]

I played 3 sports at Farmington High (graduated in 2015). Coach Phelan was always so supportive of my older brother and me. Always known for his aggressive pats on the back followed by a "Good game last night" in the hallways. Truly cared about his student athletes.

 

[AreBee1969]

I played 3 sports at Farmington High (graduated in 2015). Coach Phelan was always so supportive of my older brother and me. Always known for his aggressive pats on the back followed by a "Good game last night" in the hallways. Truly cared about his student athletes.

That's awesome. I was talking with my youngest daughter yesterday about Coach and she told me he high-fived her in the hallway the day after a lax game for her good "D". As a freshman playing varsity, she said it put her on top of the world.

 

[Chantry1101]

That's awesome. I was talking with my youngest daughter yesterday about Coach and she told me he high-fived her in the hallway the day after a lax game for her good "D". As a freshman playing varsity, she said it put her on top of the world.

He was great at making people feel like that! So cool to hear that, thanks for sharing that.