KENMORE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Friday December 22nd was a date marked on many calendars for high school basketball in Western New York, Canisius vs. Saint Joe's. It's considered one of — if not — the biggest rivalry in high school sports in the region. Friday's game, however, was bigger than basketball. Prior to the game, St. Joe's honored their late head coach, Gabe Michael.
"He was kind of a larger than life guy. He really embodied what Saint Joes’ mission, our Lasallian mission is all about. He cared so much for our players, our boys. He cared so much about basketball and the Western New York basketball community."
Michael was at the helm of St. Joe's basketball for the last five years and re-established the school's name as a powerhouse program in Western New York. He led the program to its first Manhattan Cup win in over a decade since 2021.
The ceremony included a video tribute from coaches and players who knew Michael. At the conclusion, his family was invited to center court and was gifted basketballs with the names of his former teams.
At that time, St. Joe's announced the establishment of the Coach Gabe Michael Memorial basketball endowment fund. The fund will be used to help better the future of St. Joe's basketball and to help student athletes with financial needs. The fund has already surpassed over $55,000 in donations in just under a month since its establishment.
"I think [Friday] just shows a part of that. Right, I mean, you saw so many different coaches, and players, that played and coached with him but even guys who coached against him. Tonight you saw a lot of different people from our community come together and celebrate him. "
All around the gym, players, coaches and fans were wearing a shirt dedicated to Michael. The shirt saying "GB" and his infamous saying "WOOOO". It's something that St. Joe's Interim Head Coach Cooper Calzonetti will always remember from Michael.
The wooo is kind of, you didn’t know what is was. It was just something he did. It was something that brighten your day even if you were having a tough conversation with him or you had a bad practice. He said "Hey I’ll see you tomorrow wooo" and you couldn’t help but smile.
The game ended in a 56-50 win for Canisius, but the game was nothing short of electrifying. A playoff-like atmosphere for a historic rivalry, this game had Coach Michael's name written all over it.
"These are the types of games that he absolutely thrived in."
- Dr. Chris Fulco
"Gabe was having a good time up there. He was looking down on us."
- Cooper Calzonetti
Coach Michael's impact on basketball in Western New York goes beyond the game and what happens in between the lines.
He’s connected with so many kids and made their lives better, helped them get into colleges, helped them get jobs. His impact goes beyond anything basketball related.
If you'd like to donate to the Coach Gabe Michael Endowment Fund, you can contact Dan Warner, Vice President of Institutional Advancement for more information. 716-270-4115 or dwarner@sjci.com.
