Marist Names Basketball Court For Bill De Fazio
by Michael Cohen/Journal Staff Writer

Former Marist basketball players honor former Marist girls basketball coach Bill De Fazio on Sunday, after the court was named in his honor. De Fazio, who owns 578 wins is battling pancreatic cancer.

Bill De Fazio has touched the lives of hundreds of people over the three decades since he began coaching football and girls basketball in the mid-1970s.

De Fazio, 63, was honored yesterday by Marist High School, when the basketball court that he presided over for 18 years was named in his honor.

More than 400 people, made up of family, close friends, and former and current players from De Fazio's days at Marist and St. Anthony's were on hand for the ceremony designating the court as Bill De Fazio Court.

The moment was big, but it meant even more to all in attendance as De Fazio was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer a few months ago.

The coach may have lost a lot of weight, but his enthusiasm and spirit for the people he cares about is still there.

"I think my coaching career has come full circle," said De Fazio. "All the memories, all the blood, sweet and tears, hard work was worth it. Forget about coaching, what matter is that people care, you forget that people care about you when you're coaching. Then when I got sick and come to this gym and you see all these people here on a Sunday afternoon it hits you."

The moment was to be a big surprise for De Fazio. His wife Alice, who is the athletic director at New Jersey City University, never told him about what awaited him at Marist.

"She told me Saturday night, that we were coming to Marist for an hour, they wanted to see me," he said. "I figured I was going to get a card at a meeting. Then when I walked into the gym I knew it. It really makes you feel proud of the accomplishment. Since I have retired and got sick, I never realized how many people have been in my corner, cared about me."

Coach De Fazio was introduced by longtime friend and Marist Lady Knight's announcer Rich Dwyer.

When De Fazio entered the arena with his wife, he was overcome with emotion. Everyone stood up to cheer as the De Fazio's walked in. De Fazio, rested his head on Alice's shoulder for support as he couldn't hold back his tears.

"I am thrilled to what I walked into," he told the crowd. "I want to thank the people here for making me feel their love."

It has been a hard year for De Fazio. He retired in 2009 because of a heart attack. He had been working 13-hour days, and wanted to start taking care of himself, then the cancer hit.

"It's pancreatic. There is not much they can do, except keep it simplified. They have to make me comfortable with the medicine and make sure it doesn't spread," said De Fazio.

Marist High School President Bob Slaski and Athletic Director Larry Arico got together in March, after De Fazio retired, about the idea of honoring one of the winningest coaches in Hudson County girls high school basketball -- 578 victories -- by naming the court after him.

"I thought it would be only fitting that the court would be named after him," said Arico. "He made this program into what it is now. Bill is the sole reason for this. He not only coached the girls, but developed them into productive young women."

Janelle Biamonte, who played for De Fazio from 2002-2006, and is currently playing at Felician College, was overcome by emotion when talking about her former coach.

"He is everything that you want in a coach," she said. "He is so detail-oriented, and he cares and makes you feel like you are his daughter. All the things I have achieved I definitely wouldn't be able do it without him.

"I found out in March, and at first I was sad, but I know what kind of person he is. You know he is a fighter and he will get through it. I think he put it perfectly when he said he won't 'crawl up into a ball'. He's always in my prayers."

De Fazio was also a solid football coach at the youth level. His starting quarterback Tim Foy, from the 1977 St. Paul's Greenville team, has fond memories of De Fazio patrolling the sidelines.

"Billy was prepared all the time," said Foy. "As sixth, seventh and eighth graders, we practiced all the time. He knew what the other team would do, he scouted them well, and was tough on us, ruled with an iron fist. If given the chance, he would have been a legend in high school football."

The moment was also a reunion for St. Anthony High School basketball players Nancy Kallarido, April Coleman Arnette, and Sheila Wall Leonardo. The three were members of the 1981 team that De Fazio coached to a title.

This was the first time in years that the three had seen one another. "He taught us a lot about character, working hard, and we ended up champions. That is how he has gone through his life as a champion. After all these years a lot of people love him," said Leonardo.

De Fazio is the only coach in the county to coach two schools to state championships in basketball. He coached St. Anthony from 1977 to 1990.

This article was reproduced with the permission of the Jersey Journal.