City of Basketball Love

Varun Kumar (@VRKumar8)
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Roman Catholic has hired St. Joe’s Prep assistant coach Matt Griffin as its new head coach, a source confirmed to CoBL on Wednesday.

Griffin will replace former coach Chris McNesby, who resigned in May to spend more time with his family.

Griffin will join the Cahillites after spending the last two seasons assisting former Roman head coach Speedy Morris at the Prep, where they went a combined 31-15 (17-9 PCL). In 2015, Prep, led by then-star senior Chris Clover, finished 18-5 overall (.783), and 10-3 (.769), good for fourth in the Catholic League standings.

A first team all-Catholic League selection in 2007 from St. Joe’s Prep, Griffin played two seasons at Rider, averaging just under 3 ppg as a reserve. He transferred to Boston University in 2009, and became a part-time starter for the Terriers America East Championship team under then-coach Pat Chambers in 2010-11 as a junior. He ended his BU career averaging 6.1 ppg and 2.6 rpg and was twice elected as a team captain.  

He also comes from a well-known Philadelphia basketball family. His father, John Griffin Sr. played for Morris at Roman, and in college for St. Joe’s in the 70’s. The senior Griffin would later go on to serve as Hawks head coach from 1990-1995. Matt’s older brother John Griffin Jr. played for Morris at The Prep as well, and at Bucknell from 2004-2008, before returning to the Bison as an assistant coach in 2015.

Griffin will join the Cahillites as a player developer looking to develop their young core, just like he did the past two seasons with Prep guards Kyle Thompson and Darius Kinnel.

McNesby served in his capacity for eight seasons, going 168-55 (.753) overall and an astounding 80-16 (.849) in the Catholic League. He leaves the school at the corner of Broad and Vine after capturing the last two PCL and Class AAAA state titles.

Outside of senior Dakquan Davis, Roman will have very few experienced players returning next season. Gone are the Penn State bound trio of Tony Carr, Lamar Stevens and Nazeer Bostick, big man Paul Newman will prep St. Andrew’s (R.I.) before heading to Brown, and promising sophomore forward Mikeal Jones surprisingly transferred to Girard College.

Still, the Cahillites do bring back talented sophomore Seth Lundy, and will add highly-touted freshman guard Lynn Greer III as well.

Despite all the turnover in one offseason, there was no shortage of candidates. The Roman job was highly coveted due to its winning history, which dates back to Morris’ first season in 1968-69. Morris, and his successors Barry Brodzinski, the legendary Dennis Seddon and McNesby combined for twenty PCL titles (in the last 47 seasons).

Throughout the years, the program has turned players like future NBAers Eddie Griffin, Marc Jackson, Rasual Butler, Dallas Comegys, and Maalik Wayns into top Division I players and prospects.