BROOKLYN HEIGHTS, NY – For nearly a decade, Glenn Braica has been molding the lives of young men at St. Francis College Brooklyn as the men's basketball Head Coach. Over his time as Head Coach, Braica has collected the third-most wins in program history with 132, has guided the Terriers to eight Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament berths, two National Postseason appearances, and an NEC Regular Season Championship.
Additionally, Braica is a two-time NEC Coach of the Year, two-time District 18 NABC Coach of the Year, two-time Skip Prosser "Man of the Year" Finalist, and was once named the Peter A. Carlesimo MET Writers Co-Coach of the Year. But, the thing that he is most proud of is being able to develop young men, watch them mature, and become successful in their lives.
"The relationships that we have developed with our players, and having helped them grow into fine young men that have gone on to become successful in life will always be the number one highlight for me. It is one of 353 Division I Head Coaching jobs in the nation. It is always an honor to be a Division I Head Coach and to be able to do it in my hometown, at St. Francis, a place where I have spent a good portion of my adult life.
"But, to me, it will always be about the relationships and watching people grow in different ways, watching them go through some tough times and learn from their experiences. Being able to teach kids life lessons day in and day out in the gym, that is really what you do it for," said Braica.
Coach Braica and his staff have instilled a culture that is indicative of high character. As a result of that, the team has enjoyed success throughout his time on Remsen Street. Braica is regarded as one of the most trustworthy college basketball coaches in the nation. That trust was recently highlighted in an amNewYork article that was published during conference play last season.
"We have a pretty good culture instilled here. We instill certain things in the groups that have been passed down from year-to-year. I think we are known for certain things that translate into success. We have been able to get some really good players because people trust us. People have trusted us with their kids, whether it be parents or coaches, and I do not think we sugarcoat anything. We tell them like it is, and we try to make them better," Braica added as he commented on how he and his staff have been able to maintain a high level of success at St. Francis.
There have been a number of standout moments during Braica's tenure as Head Coach. In 2013-14, the Terriers went on the road to defeat the reigning ACC Champions Miami in overtime. That same year, they nearly knocked off ACC power Syracuse in the Carrier Dome and set the record for the most non-conference wins by an NEC member with nine.
In 2014-15, the Terriers had one of the best seasons in program history under Braica's guidance. The team tied a school record with 23 victories and won its first NEC Regular Season Championship since the 2003-04 campaign. The Terriers earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT), which marked the program's first national postseason appearance since 1963.
"We have had some really good teams and some great wins, and have played some exciting games. I would say the team that we had in 2015 that won the Regular Season Championship and went to the NIT, which was the first time the school has been to a National Postseason Tournament in about 60 years was memorable," Braica commented.
He added that "having a chance to coach some terrific players and great people, obviously Jalen Cannon being our program's all-time leading scorer and rebounder here was special. Beating Miami on the night they hung their ACC championship banner, and the near-miss against Syracuse in front of 25,000 people in the Carrier Dome was pretty exciting as well."
Between being an Assistant Coach (1990-2000), Associate Head Coach (2000-04), and Head Coach (2010-present) at St. Francis, Braica has been able to touch the lives of so many young men who have walked through the gold doors at 180 Remsen Street. Many of his former players still routinely stay in touch with him even after they are through with their college basketball playing careers.
"I get texts from a number of former players. Amdy Fall, Gunnar Olafsson, Glenn Sanabria, Richie Dominguez, Kevin Douglas, Greg Nunn, John Thomas, and Karl Sanders have sent me so many wonderful messages, and it is not about basketball, but about the things we have tried to instill in them as people. A lot of times, when we coach, we do not really talk about basketball. We have practice, watch film, and do everything that goes into a college basketball program, but a lot of your success on the court is related to your character, your foundation, your habits. We talk a lot about that stuff."
Since graduating, Fall and Olafsson have gone on to successful careers – one in basketball and the other in teaching. Fall has served as a mathematics teacher at Success Academy Harlem East, where he recently was honored with the Success Academy Excellence Award in the Growth category. He earned this award because he exemplified the educational excellence that all children deserve and that the Success Academy strives for. Fall had the best performing math classes in the whole network, which is a testament to his commitment to his students.
Olafsson signed a professional contract with Oviedo Baloncesto in the LEB Gold League in Spain this past summer after playing a year of pro ball for Keflavik of the Dominos League. The LEB Gold League is the second-highest league in Spain, and Oviedo Baloncesto qualified for the postseason last year after finishing in fourth-place during the regular season.
As for Sanabria, he concluded a five-year career as a member of the men's basketball program this past May and became the first graduate student to play for Braica at St. Francis. The Staten Island, NY product had a memorable career in Brooklyn Heights and grew into the Terriers' leader on and off the court. After St. Francis added an M.S. in Management program, Sanabria stayed loyal to coach Braica and the Terriers and opted to play his fifth-year of college basketball at the place where it all started for him. His maturity, poise, and work ethic were all attributes that allowed him to succeed at St. Francis.
These three alums are just three examples of the type of young men that Braica and his staff have been able to mentor here in Brooklyn Heights. The members of the Terriers' men's basketball program have bought into the culture that is demanded of them. As a result of their hard work and guidance, they have found success both on and off the court.
"It is probably the most satisfying thing when a kid comes up to you and says you made a difference in his life, and they are better because of it – now that's rewarding. But what is even more rewarding than that is when they are passing that on to someone else, and I think a lot of our guys have done that. We have several guys that are teachers, coaches, police officers, and businessmen, that have done really well in life that have come from difficult backgrounds. We are an underdog school. We take guys where maybe sometimes in life the odds are against them, and we have been able to make their lives better, and in turn, they have been able to make other people's lives better, which is without question the most satisfying thing we do here," Braica explained.
Like Olafsson, a large number of Braica's student-athletes have gone on to sign professional contracts internationally. Akeem Bennett '11, Ricky Cadell '11, Alex Harrington '11, Stefan Perunicic '12, Akeem Johnson '13, Alexandar Isailovic '14, Ben Mockford '14, Kevin Douglas '15, Jalen Cannon '15, Lowell Ulmer '15, Brent Jones '15, Antonio Jenifer '16, Chris Hooper '16, Tyreek Jewell '16, DJ Porter '18, Jagos Lasic '18, and Gunnar Olafsson '18 have all enjoyed successful careers overseas. Douglas was recently hired as a men's basketball Assistant Coach at Queens College, while Isailovic has since returned to the Terriers' men's basketball program and is currently a member of Braica's staff.
"It is a tribute to their hard work that they have been able to get to that level and say that they are a professional player and experience things like that. To see different countries and get paid to play is a very special thing, and it is a tremendous accomplishment," Braica added.
Looking ahead at Braica's current group of Terriers, who tip-off the 2019-20 season on Tuesday, November 5, against crosstown foe Fordham. St. Francis is coming off a very successful 2018-19 campaign, which saw the Terriers win 17 contests and earn a bid to the CollegeInsider.com National Postseason Tournament. St. Francis returns a large portion of its team this season as it has 10 returners and three newcomers rounding out the roster.
"I like this group; they are all good guys. I really like the people that are in the gym, and I think we are learning. I want to be as good as we can be every day in practice and games. The only thing you can do as a coach is to try and get your team to reach its potential, and then you need a little luck. We are just going to work every day to be as good as we can be and give ourselves a chance," noted Braica.
One thing that is certain about any group that is coached by Braica – they are going to play hard, have high character, and command a strong sense of pride. These qualities have allowed the Terriers to be so successful under Braica's watch and have them poised for continued success in the future.
