Tom O’Brien was a university basketball assistant at Bradley in 1967 when the chance arose to return again to teach at Cathedral, his alma mater.
O’Brien would depart a pair completely different occasions as coach, however by no means actually did quit his connection to the varsity the place he graduated from in 1949. O’Brien died on Aug. 17 at age 95.
“Tom had such a historical past with Cathedral, graduating from there and all of the modifications the varsity went by way of in good occasions and dangerous occasions, Tom was at all times a part of it,” mentioned Steve Hodgson, who coached with O’Brien after which later succeeded him. “It goes even past that. There are such a lot of households within the Catholic and Eastside group and those that I’ve heard from within the final week by way of Tom’s passing that he touched.”
O’Brien not solely coached soccer, basketball and baseball at Cathedral, he later returned in its place and earned the nickname “Tremendous Sub.”
“Tom left a profound impression on Cathedral, each as a scholar and when he returned as an educator and coach,” Cathedral shared on its social media accounts. “‘Coach OB’ coached soccer, basketball and baseball at Cathedral, leaving an enduring legacy on 1000’s of Cathedral college students. In the course of the remaining years of his tenure at Cathedral, he was affectionately generally known as ‘Tremendous Sub,’ and college students had been at all times thrilled to see him stroll by way of the classroom door.”
O’Brien, who performed soccer at Butler for legendary coach Tony Hinkle, coached on the employees at Evansville Faculty for Arad McCutchan, serving to the Aces to an ideal season in 1964-65. That group was led by Larry Humes and Jerry Sloan. However after teaching at Evansville and Bradley, O’Brien was drawn dwelling with the chance to teach basketball at Cathedral.
After main Cathedral to a 71-27 file over a four-year interval, together with this system’s first sectional championship in 1971, O’Brien additionally served because the Marion County Clerk from 1975-79 earlier than he was rehired as Cathedral’s coach in 1979.
“He was a extremely, actually good coach,” mentioned Brad Lennon, who was employed as O’Brien’s freshman group coach in 1980 and coached on his employees the following six seasons. “He wasn’t essentially a grasp technician however he was a gamers’ coach. He had a coronary heart of gold and would do something for anyone – simply improbable with folks.”
Steve Hodgson remembered one afternoon when O’Brien was feeling sick and was not going to have the ability to make it to a recreation at Heart Grove. He spent 45 minutes speaking on the cellphone to Hodgson, his assistant at Cathedral, concerning the recreation plan for the evening. Simply earlier than the tipoff, O’Brien confirmed up on the recreation, saying he was “feeling higher and coming to assist the youngsters.”
“I turned to Brad and mentioned the over/underneath on him sitting on this bench is halftime,” Hodgson mentioned with fun. “I missed it by 1 / 4. If he was there, he was going to teach. I’d in all probability be the identical approach.”
O’Brien’s greatest group was the 1981-82 group led by senior Ken Barlow and junior Scott Hicks, each of whom would go on to Notre Dame; Shelton Smith (Wisconsin) and Carl Daniels (Rice). Cathedral was 27-2 going into the Remaining 4 however ran right into a buzzsaw in Scott Skiles and Plymouth, falling 62-59 within the afternoon recreation. Plymouth would beat Gary Roosevelt 75-74 in double time beyond regulation for the state championship that evening.
“It was an incredible expertise for the youngsters to play in a packed Market Sq. Enviornment,” Hodgson mentioned. “We had been in all probability the proverbial favorites. I keep in mind within the locker room after the sport, Tom talked to the youngsters about the way it was sooner or later of their lives. He advised them they’d an unimaginable season and had been capable of go to the Remaining 4 … all the nice issues they achieved. Although he was heartbroken and all of us had been, I appreciated these feedback.”
O’Brien stepped down in 1984. He coached 9 seasons whole at Cathedral, compiling a 164-60 file. He would go on to teach at Blackford in 1986 after two years working within the Marion County Sheriff’s Division. O’Brien would later be a Sagamore of the Wabash recipient and an inaugural member of the Cathedral Circle of Excellence. On his eightieth birthday, Mayor Greg Ballard declared it “Tom O’Brien Day” in Indianapolis.
“I may not have gotten into teaching if it wasn’t for OB,” Lennon mentioned. “He was actually good about letting you’ve got your two cents as an assistant coach. Only a nice man with an ideal humorousness. I owe him quite a bit.”
O’Brien is proceeded in loss of life by his spouse, Marilyn O’Brien, his mother and father, 5 brothers James, Robert, Jack, Michael, Bernard and sisters Mary O’Brien and Patricia Norton. He’s survived by his daughters, Dorothy (Pete) Miller, Kathleen Allgood and sister Barbara (Joseph) Minatel in addition to many nieces and nephews.
Visitation might be held on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. at Feeney-Hornak Keystone Mortuary, 2126 E. 71st Road. A Mass of Christian Burial might be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. at St. Lawrence Catholic Church 6944 E. forty sixth Road, with burial to observe in Westridge Park Cemetery.
Memorial contributions go to Cathedral Tuition Help Fund, 5225 E. 56th St., Indianapolis, IN 46226.
Name Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.Get IndyStar's highschool protection despatched on to your inbox with the .
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