LYNN — After an 8-2 record, a Division 1 state tournament appearance, and finishing as runners up in the Greater Boston League, there was no doubt about it.
Lynn English coach Brett Molea was awarded GBL Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
In just his third season, Molea has helped turn Lynn English from an afterthought to a true conference competitor. The other voting coaches in the GBL recognized him, which is what Molea is most proud of.
“I think when it’s voted on by your peers, they’re acknowledging the work that you put in as well,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s hard as a coach to see what you’re putting in, and to get that recognition from other coaches in the league… it means a lot coming from guys like that.”
Molea had plenty of people to credit, starting with his golfers’ attitudes – right from the get-go.
“I had a group of guys this year that actually wanted to be better golfers,” he said. “When you have kids coming to practice like that every single day, with a goal to get better, it makes coaching that much easier.”
Molea was also quick to thank his assistant coach Joe Driscoll and all of his volunteer work.
“If it wasn’t for [Driscoll], I don’t think I would have won this award. I don’t even look at it as an award for me; I look at it as an award for us as a coaching staff,” he said. “He was really hands-on with my guys, coming to practices and matches, and kids gravitated towards him. I think that was a big help to me.”
Then there was junior returner John Crowley, whose role as a leader was instrumental.
“I had a lot of older kids last year, a lot of seniors that graduated. So, I didn’t know what to expect this year,” Molea said. “John Crowley, this year, he was kind of our captain… and it was a great recipe to have a guy like that who’s been around and saw what was going on.”
Crowley helped his younger teammates “buy in” to the team and its goals, and got them “ready to work” day in and day out.
Having those underclassmen quickly gain traction became a large part of the team’s success, as those turned out to be the team’s top performers.
Eighth grader Jacoby Comeau (8-1-1) and freshman Riley Driscoll (9-0-1) both finished as GBL All-Stars, as well as Crowley, to round out postseason awards for English.
Molea looks forward to the future of the program.
“It was nice for us to actually qualify for the tournament. I think it was great that our kids kind of got a taste of it… I think it’s going to bring them back next year,” he said. “It’s not just to have a young group, but to have a young group that wants to become better golfers… that makes me much more excited for the future.”
English has enjoyed its success, but its coach knows there’s more to be done.
“It’s tough when you live in New England to golf year-round. We already talked about doing some things in the offseason to keep the swing going,” Molea said. “[Golf] is something you have to work on the whole year.”
He added his team will be setting up nets in the school gym, and visiting virtual golf experiences.
When asked what his keys were for coaching a successful team, Molea said “support,” but added that it really came down to his golfers.
“I’ve noticed that letting kids know that they’re improving every day [is the biggest key]. It’s such a tedious sport that it’s hard for them to see that,” he said. “But, when you’re on a winning streak and finishing second [in the GBL], it’s nice for those kids to see their work they put in become what was a successful season.”
