LYNN — After leading the Classical boys basketball team for three seasons, Rams head coach Jasper Grassa is stepping down.
Grassa made his decision known on Thursday, telling the athletic department that at this point in his life there were other priorities in his life that needed attention.
“Jasper felt that at this time, he wanted to go back to school and get his master’s and he just couldn’t commit the time necessary to do the job effectively,” said Classical athletic director Bill Devin. “It’s a big time commitment and it’s not easy. Jasper did everything right as a basketball coach, he did things the right way and I have nothing to give him but praise and accolades.”
Following a stint as an assistant with the Rams, Grassa took over the head coaching job at Classical in 2017 from his father Tom — who stepped down after 31 seasons and 476 wins. He went on to lead the Rams to three consecutive tournament appearances behind a tough, fast-paced style of basketball.
“He’s really just a great coach,” Devin said. “He’s got tremendous knowledge of the game,
Grassa starred at Classical from 2006-10 before moving on to play at Bentley University, where he holds the school record for career 3-pointers made with 285.
“I think the world of him,” Devin said of Grassa. “I was lucky enough to see him play at Classical, then after college he came back as an assistant under his dad. When he took over as head coach, he really opened things up on the court but he also kept that gritty, tough style of basketball he was known for.”
After leaving his mark on the school in more ways than one, Grassa — who is also a teacher at Classical — is sure to be remembered fondly by all Rams basketball fans.
“He’s made a big impact on that program,” Devin said. “He was a great player and an enthusiastic coach. I’m happy that this isn’t totally the end and I’ll be able to see him around the school, but we really will miss him out there on the court this winter.”
For Classical, the next step is to search for a replacement.
“While we’re surprised and sad to be losing Jasper, we are appreciative of the fact that he gave us a lot of notice so we can begin to search for a new coach,” Devin said. “I really respect and appreciate that. We’ll take our time with the coaching search to find a quality candidate.”
