Grevey retires as Bishop England basketball coach

Bryan Grevey, a legacy from an iconic basketball family, has retired as the coach of the Bishop England High School boys’ team.

 

Grevey, an Ohio native who earned a basketball scholarship to the University of South Carolina and played for the legendary Frank McGuire, is the second on the all-time boys’ win list at BE with a 200-145 record. He is also No. 2 in games coached with 345. Tommy Lavelle owns both BE records with 287 victories and 474 games coached.

 

“I’m going to step back and enjoy time with my family,” said Grevey, who led the Bishops to a 19-9 record and second place in Region 7-AA in his final season at the helm of the program.

 

“We have four grandchildren, and I want to spend time and focus on the family. I still have my health. It will be nice to spend the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons and not have to worry about tournaments or other basketball obligations. There are other things I want to do.”

 

Grevey and his wife, Alene, will celebrate their 40th anniversary in September. Alene retired from iHeartMedia two years ago, which was another factor in Grevey’s decision.

 

Grevey comes from a basketball family. His father, Norman, was a coaching legend in Hamilton, Ohio, and four of his sons went on to play at the college level. Kevin Grevey was one of the greatest players in the history of the University of Kentucky, while Bryan matriculated to USC. Brothers Scott and Norman Jr. also played Division I basketball.

 

Grevey joined the BE boys’ staff as an assistant to Jeff DiBattisto in 2005 and was named head coach in time for the 2011-12 season when DiBattisto took a job in the Midlands.

 

In his 14 years as head coach, the Bishops reached the playoffs 12 times under Grevey, in addition to winning region championships in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. He earned Region Coach of the Year all four of those seasons.

 

The Bishops have won only one state championship, claiming the title in 1963, but Grevey’s 2019-20 team opened the season with 20 consecutive victories and seemed poised to make a run at a championship. The Bishops finished with a school record of 26 victories against three losses.

 

Grevey said the biggest and best memories of his tenure at BE were not about wins, losses, and titles.

 

“It’s the families, the kids I coached,” he said. “Obviously, the friendships I developed in the coaching fraternity are special. Those produced some fantastic memories.

 

“I always coached good kids,” Grevey added. “The support I received from the families and Bishop England is special. It’s a great program, and a great school.”

 

The Bishops went 19-9, including a 7-2 run in their last nine games. Grevey said the team should have plenty of talent next winter.

 

“I didn’t want to leave the cupboard bare,” he said.

 

Daniel Eykyn, the current BE boys’ junior varsity coach, has been named the interim coach. He played for Grevey and went on to star at The Citadel. Bishop England’s search to replace Grevey will commence in June.