On Thursday evening Lynn English boys basketball head coach Alvin Abreu announced on X, that he is stepping down as head coach of the Bulldogs.
Abreu just completed his fourth season as head coach and his eighth season on the Bulldogs bench as he was the assistant coach under then head coach Antonio Anderson. Abreu got a new job, but it was a decision driven mainly by his family that led to his departure.
“There’s multiple factors but it starts with my family. They take the brunt of it when you coach. People just see me coaching at games and practice, but they don’t see the family behind that which anchors you and holds you down which allows you to be on the sidelines. That support system has been amazing for me,” Abreu said. “My fiancé, Gina Montes De Oca, and my three kids have been amazing to me. My oldest, Xavier, is going to be playing basketball at Northeastern next fall, and my two little ones in Amari and Samia. Samia is my baby who’s turning three next month and my middle, Amari, is turning six in June. That’s what spearheaded this decision which was a difficult one. I’m excited to give time back to my family.”
Although Abreu may be rocking a Northeastern hat come next winter, he said he’ll still be living and hanging out in Lynn.
“I’ll still be around and hope to catch a few games next year,” Abreu said.
When asked what it meant for him to coach the Bulldogs, Abreu praised the school and the opportunity it gave him to do what he loves.
“It’s my high. Basketball is my passion. It’s a part of me and who I am. The coaching filled the gap that most people don’t think it fills when you’re done playing. I’m going to miss competing as a head coach, and prepping the guys for game night. I’m going to miss developing young men from their freshman year to senior year,” Abreu said. “Instilling core values in the players to make sure they’re successful young men by the time they graduate is what I’m going to miss. I’m a competitor at heart, that competitive juice will always be with me and I’m going to miss being out there.”
When looking back at his eight years on the sidelines, Abreu spoke about two memories, one from when he was an assistant coach and the other as a head coach.
“Winning back-to-back state championships while I was an assistant was one hell of a ride. The staff that Antonio put together and those kids went on to do great things. That run we made to go back-to-back is a memory that is going to stay with me forever,” Abreu said. “Antonio gave me an opportunity back in 2017 to join the staff. I never thought I wanted to be a coach, but when I got the opportunity I fell in love with it.”
“One memory from being a head coach was building the program from scratch. When I got the opportunity to be the head coach I had big shoes to fill. I’m not saying I filled those shoes, but I filled it in my own way. I think we were able to still be successful, winning back-to-back GBL (Greater Boston League) championships and winning coach of the year,” Abreu said. “The year (2022-23) with Warren Keel Jr. and Tyrese Melo-Garcia was a fun year and a fun ride. I think we were 20-2 that year. We lost in the Sweet 16 to Newton North, that was a fun year. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact memory since I’m still processing it all. Overall, this whole journey of building the program and seeing what I could do as a head coach, it was no easy task to build your program and maintain the success athletically and academically.”
Abreu also thanked Athletic Director Dick Newton for his support and trust in leading the basketball program.
“I want to give a shoutout to Dick Newton, the AD. He doesn’t get enough credit. He gave me the opportunity and was very supportive from my coaching staff to the players,” Abreu said. “It takes a village to run a program and I’m definitely going to miss it.”
Although Abreu was one of the best players Lynn Classical has produced, his love for English won’t end anytime soon.
“As a Classical alum, I feel like I’m a bulldog now at heart. I truly enjoyed my time there,” Abreu said.
