East Brunswick High School - Emerald Yearbook (East Brunswick, NJ)

Page 24 text:

That, too, was Jay Doyle. He was a tough competitor but winning wasn't everything. When he could help develop athletics, even for a rival, he would. For this reason, after his death in December, the newspapers quoted sports figures throughout New Jersey who told how Jay's influence touched their athletes as well as those in East Brunswick. Many an opponent had felt his hand on their shoulders and had heard his soft- spoken praise, Nice match, son. That was typical of him. He could reach kids and he cared enough about them to make the effort. to make when they heard the sad news. No one would have faulted them had they taken the easy course and not wrestled that night. But they chose to go on, for Jay. None of them made it to the finals but they accomplished something far more important. Jay would have treasured it more than the trophies they might have won. Three seasons ago, with the most inexperienced wrestling team in the school's history, Doyle said, I've never enjoyed coaching as much as this year. I can't wait for the next day. I really mean that. schools. But he had to be active. He had been athletic director since 1956 when the high school opened, and had started all the athletic pro- grams. He had coached football, basketball and wrestling. He consid- ered every sport a major one, each as important as the other. Probably for this reason, EBHS has had the smallest coaching turnover of any large school in the county and has enjoyed such success in sports. Jay has been the backbone of the entire organization, said basketball coach John Emery. Jay died suddenly the morning after he had coached his team in the quarter-final rounds of the county wrestling tournament he had organ- ized. His three wrestlers who were in the semifinals that night had a choice And that, too, was this man. He could have sat back and concentrat- ed on the administrative duties that went with his being athletic director and supervisor of health and physical education for the East Brunswick Despite being athletic director, he added, he never held that position over us ... in fact, he always seemed just one of us. It was almost like working with a legend.

Page 23 text:

he liked what we were doing. When someone complained to him about us, we weren't censored or put on the carpet or even directed to stop. We learned later that the athletic director of one of the schools we'd been sharpshooting was trying to We eased up. Because this was fay build up that school's athletic pro- Doyle. An easy guy to work for. He'd gram and had sought Doyle's help, given us a job to do and apparently Jay was giving it. id quently than his words. The man who ten years before h talked uslnto putting out footb rograms for him was now giving gentle needle for soBc of the jit e'd made in print abput some jur upcoming opponents. We had said things that he couldn't and he didn't really think our com- ments were that outrageous. But he was getting heat from someone about our commentary. He would have trouble, he said, scheduling them in the future if we kept it up. But the wry smile and the glint in his eye spoke mere elo-

Page 25 text:

He never really demanded any- thing, Emery continued. Every- body always had a chance to express an opinion and a consensus was using in making decisions ... I appreciated that. His remarks were echoed by football coach Mel Caseiro: He was a great man, a great educator. If I had to choose a boss to work for, it would have been Jay Doyle ... He was very fair and kept all the coaches working together. I have seen coaches at other schools competing with each other, but at East Brunswick we tried to help each other. Jay was also active in county and state athletic organizations. I know there is no person in the state who has ever done more for wrestling, said Cliff Loyson of J.P. Stevens. Of all the coaches I can think of, wrestling and other sports, I have never known one as humble and less egotistical than Jay, one who was genuinely pleased when a person from another team accomplishes things. Added Norm Winters of Piscataway, Jay was THE leader for wrestling in New Jersey; the sport will miss him ... He always put out tremendous teams and we wrestled hard against each other. tion. Winning wasn't everything and he never sacrificed a kid to win. Yet he won over 100 victories, three state championships and numerous other achievements. John Morrison,who won a wrestling championship under Doyle two years ago, spoke perhaps for all Jay's athletes when he said, He was one of the finest men I have ever known and set an example that we all should follow. He was probably most well known in the county, and maybe beyond, by the kids, said Bob Gavin, Doyle's close friend and former guidance counsellor here. He had a way with kids. He never got stale, never stuck to routine things in his coaching. Jay saw the sport as something for the kids, not the coach's own edifica- And more than one parent has paid him tribute indirectly when they have said that their sons would not be doing so well in school were it not for athletics. Jay was the man who made East Brunswick go. Jay was Mr. East Brunswick. His death at 41 diminishes us all.