About Us
Jack Curran (1930-2013)
After his 55th year, Jack Curran’s record in basketball is 972 wins and 437 losses and is still growing. This record includes 21 Queens Divisional Championships, 14 Brooklyn-Queens Diocesan Championships, eight of ten Marist Invitational Tournament Crowns, six Bishop O’Connell Tourney titles, five Beach Ball Classic titles at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, two Gonzaga DC Classic titles, one Aviator Christmas Classic, one Realtor’s Classic and one Red Cross Rotary Classic title. Coach Curran’s teams won 51 consecutive games in league play and 108 out of 118 games.
In baseball, his record is 1708 wins and 523 losses after the Fall of 2012, which includes 17 CHSAA City Championships, 28 trips to the Championship game, 24 Queens Divisional titles, and fall crowns. At one time, Coach Curran’s baseball teams amassed a national record of 68 consecutive league victories, which includes an undefeated season of 36-0. A record that stood from 1970 till 2005.
Coach Curran has been named Coach of the Year by the press 25 times in baseball and 22 times in basketball and has received the National High School Coaches Association Award for District I in 1971, 1988, and 1990. Under his tutelage, eight boys have achieved the honor of being named to High School All American teams. Eighty-six to All-City baseball teams and seven of whom have gone on to distinguished themselves in professional basketball, Kevin Joyce of the ABA Indiana Pacers, Brian Winters of the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, Kenny Smith of the Houston Rockets, Robert Werdann of the New Jersey Nets, Rudy Bogad played for the L.I. Nets and Sundiata Gaines of the Indiana Pacers. Kenny Anderson of the Boston Celtics was the only first-round pick to have played at Molloy under Coach Curran. In his tenure at Molloy, Jack Curran has coached over 480 boys who have gone to college on athletic scholarships in baseball and basketball. Some forty of these young men have followed him into the coaching profession on both high school and college levels.
Jack Curran has written New York High School Basketball released by Parker Publishing. During the summer, he directs Jack Curran’s Basketball Camp, which he founded over 45 years ago.
Coach Curran has been inducted into nine Halls of Fame, the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, St. John’s University Hall of Fame, N.Y. State Basketball Hall of Fame, CHSAA Hall of Fame, Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame, All Hallows H.S. Hall of Fame, and Basketball Old-timers of
America Hall of Fame, NYC Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Stanner Hall of Fame. Curran was named National H.S. Coach of the Year in 1990 for basketball and in 1988 for baseball, Regional Coach of the year 1971 and 1988, all by the National Athletic Coaches Association. Named Kodak Legendary Coach of the Year 1988-1989 at the Downtown Athletic Club, Coach of the Decade 1980- 1990 Beach Ball Classic, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Coach Curran was also one of the first recipients of the Frank McGuire Award for Outstanding High School Coaches. He was named the Coach of the Century from New York State from Scholastic Coach. On March 28, 2006, he received the Basketball Hall of Fame Legendary High School Coach Award. On February 8, 2008, Archbishop Molloy celebrated Coach Curran’s Fifty years at the school by rededicating the gym named in his honor. He was named National Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association in Boy’s Basketball for 2009. On August 16, 2009, Coach Curran was honored for his contribution to the New York City Baseball Community at Keyspan Park before a Brooklyn Cyclones game. On November 19, 2009, Coach Curran received the Joe Lapchick Character Award. He was also named Coach of the Year in both Baseball and Basketball by Sports Faith International on February 27, 2011. The current Basketball record of 972-437 and the baseball record of 1708-523 make Jack Curran the winningest coach in New York State history in both sports.
In the 1960s Coach, Curran began the Jack Curran Basketball Camp which was one of the first camps of its kind. These camps took place at Fordham University, Cold Spring Harbor, Fairfield University amongst others. In the 1990’s Coach Curran began day camps in basketball and baseball which had many locations most recently at Archbishop Molloy HS. These camps remain some of the most popular camps for youngsters who want to enjoy the sports of baseball and basketball while receiving the instruction needed to improve their skills. In 2013, Michael McCleary took over the camps after the passing of Coach Curran. He had been involved with organizing and directing the camps since his arrival at Molloy in 1998. Coach McCleary continues the format and philosophy of Coach Curran today and each year of the camps even with the change of the camp name to Memorial 5 Camps. In memory of Coach Curran and the number, he wore at Molloy.
Children from all areas of New York City and its surrounding areas have been enjoying the Jack Curran Camps for decades. Many people have approached Coach Curran and spoke of their experience at camp. Many campers we have today are second and even third generations of families that have been benefited from the Jack Curran Camp experience.
Camp Directors
Coach Michael McCleary Boys Varsity Basketball Coach
Coach McCleary began his coaching career at St. Anthony’s High School on Long Island in 1986-87, followed by work at his alma mater — Queens College as Assistant Coach from 1987-1991. Mike moved from Queens College to SUNY Farmingdale in 1991-1995 where he served as an Assistant Coach and then Head Coach. During his career, he has had teams ranked in the top 25 of the NJCAA with a career record of 69-27. He served as an Assistant at Fairfield University from 1995-1998. His two post-season appearances were in 1996 at the NIT and in 1997 at the NCAA. In 1998, Coach McCleary came to Archbishop Molloy High School as a teacher and Athletic Director. He serves as the Varsity Basketball coach. One of his greatest challenges and accomplishments was overseeing the development of a woman’s athletics program which increased the number of sports from 9 to17 and the number of teams from 16 to 44. In 2013, Michael was named as the new coach for the Boys Varsity Basketball team replacing the longtime and legendary Coach Jack Curran after serving 15 years as his assistant. In his first six seasons at Molloy, Coach McCleary has won the Brooklyn/Queens Diocesan regular season and tournament championship, been to the City Championship game, reached the semifinals twice.
Coach Brian Hennessey, Boys JV Baseball Coach
Coach Hennessey returned to his alma mater in 2019 as an assistant on our JV team. In 2020, he was elevated to the head coach of our JV. As a student at Molloy, Coach Hennessey won Two City Championships and was named 2nd Team All City. He went on to Iona College where he pitched and played third base. He started all four years being named All Conference as a third baseman. Coach Hennessey still holds the record for single season lowest ERA at Iona (0.75)
Coach Joe Harnischfeger just completed his first year as the Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Archbishop Molloy High School after serving as the JV coach for the past ten years. Coach Harnishfeger has reached five championship games and has won 2 Brooklyn/Queens Championships and his teams are always among the best in the diocese. Coach Harnishfeger has assisted in the resurgence of the Girls Basketball Camp that has become more popular each year. Coach Harnishfeger is also the Parish Athletic Representative for Corpus Christi in Woodside.
Coach Marty Zecca is the Girls Varsity Assistant coach after serving as the Girls JV Basketball Assistant Coach for the past ten years. Coach Zecca has assisted in bringing our JV program to five championship games and 2 Brooklyn/Queens Championships. Coach Zecca’s enthusiasm is an integral part of our team being consistently one of the best in the diocese. Along with Coach Harnishfeger, he has helped in the resurgence of our Girls Basketball Camp.
Coach Christine Harnischfeger, is the Girls JV Basketball Coach for the past 4 years and served as the varsity assistant for the previous 5 years. As a player at Molloy, she was Captain of the Undefeated JV City Champions in ’04-’05 and Captain of of Varsity as a senior as well. Christine went onto Queens College where she was a Captain as a Junior and a Senior. She led her team to the ECC Championship in 2008 while earning 2nd team All Conference as a junior. Coach Harnischfeger shot 40% from 3 point range while also leading the ECC in turnover to assist ratio. While coaching at Molloy Coach Harnischfeger has led the Stanners to Back to Back City Championships.
Camp Staff
Coach Chris Murphy serves as the Boys JV Basketball Coach at Archbishop Molloy High School.
Coach Dimitri Sirakis serves as the Girls JV Assistant Coach at Archbishop Molloy High School.