Former B.M.C Durfee Excessive boys basketball coach and athletic director Thomas “Skip” Karam died Sunday at age 91.
He was the Hilltoppers’ head coach from 1960-1995 and received 659 video games and 5 state titles throughout his time with this system. He was the primary coach in state historical past to succeed in 500 wins.
“For 36 years he devoted his life to mentoring pupil athletes,” Durfee assistant athletic director Kristen Gauvin mentioned. “His affect prolonged far past the court docket. He was appeared as much as, he demanded excellence from not solely his gamers however Durfee athletes as a complete.”
Gauvin, who was a pupil at Durfee when Karam was the athletic director and is a household good friend, mentioned that his influence on the college goes past the court docket.
“He was Durfee basketball and Durfee athletics,” Gauvin mentioned. “He’ll be remembered not just for his dedication to his college students but in addition to Durfee Excessive Faculty on the whole.”
He was a 1953 graduate of Durfee and went on to attend Windfall School and later obtained his grasp’s at Bridgewater State. He has been inducted into the Massachusetts State Basketball Coaches Affiliation Corridor of Fame, the New England Basketball Coaches Corridor of Fame and the New England Basketball Legends Corridor of Fame.
Ed Rodrigues, former New Bedford boys’ basketball coach and present athletic director at Wareham Excessive, recalled the extreme matchups between his Whalers and Karam’s Hilltoppers.
“His was a really tough-minded particular person, and his groups performed that means,” Rodrigues mentioned. “They had been very robust mentally and really disciplined and held their very own in each sport. We performed a special model of basketball and it was enjoyable to beat him.”
Rodrigues mentioned that whereas the rivalry may get tense, it didn’t influence his friendship with Karam and that he admired Karam’s teaching and management model.
“He was all about successful; his document speaks for itself,” Rodrigues mentioned. “His groups had been enjoyable to observe, and clearly he was a giant consider why his groups performed that means.”
The Hilltoppers renamed the court docket on the Luke City Subject Home in 2021 after Karam. Present head coach Joe DaCruz mentioned the precedent set by Karam is one thing his program has continued to try for, despite the fact that he hasn’t been the coach since 1995.
“Coach Karam’s influence goes nicely past any phrases I can discover to clarify,” DaCruz mentioned. “He was the definition of greatness. He’s and all the time will probably be Durfee basketball. His Corridor of Fame profession and the influence he’s had on the college, program, and neighborhood as a complete are actually legendary. He set the usual for what Durfee basketball represents.”
DaCruz added that Karam represented the “glory days” of Hilltoppers basketball and that he continued to be appeared as much as by the newer generations of Durfee athletes.
“There have been a number of groups and coaches who’ve competed since he stepped down, and collectively, we’ve got not been in a position to come near his accomplishments,” DaCruz mentioned. “I don’t consider anybody ever will have the ability to fill his sneakers on the sideline.”
Relations and pals are invited to attend his visitation on Saturday within the Waring-Sullivan dwelling in Fall River. This can happen between 10 a.m. and a couple of p.m.
