Bob Hurley conducts a local basketball clinic

Intermountain Catholic

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Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley teaches two Guadalupe Schools children to dribble a basketball.

SALT LAKE CITY — Hall of Fame basketball coach Bob Hurley gave about 50 kindergarten through fourth-grade students at Guadalupe Schools a once -in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn basketball skills.

For about 90 minutes Hurley taught the kids to dribble and shoot and at the same time lessons in life at the Zions Bank Basketball Center April 5. Hurley has coached basketball at St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, N.J., for 44 years. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2010, and this year led St. Anthony to its 1,000th victory, 24th state title and fourth national championship in a school without a gym, and despite substandard facilities and financial limitations.

"The Guadalupe School and St. Anthony are just alike except Guadalupe is a charter school and St. Anthony is a Catholic school," said Hurley.

Guadalupe School was founded as a Catholic school by Father Jerald Merrill in 1966. In 1976, the school was declared nonsectarian.

"The school is now located in the former Bishop Glass School building behind Saint Patrick Parish in Salt Lake City," said Monsignor Terrence J. Fitzgerald, vicar general of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. "We lease the building to them and support them, but they are not part of the diocese."

The Guadalupe school advisory board invited Hurley to put on the clinic sponsored by Firemen and Friends for Kids, which supports Guadalupe Schools. "We wanted the kids to have a good experience and learn to live their dreams," said Eldon Farnsworth, president of Firemen for Friends. "If they work hard, they’ll be able to accomplish that, and Hurley gave them good advice."

"Hurley uses basketball as a tool to affect the lives of young inner-city children," said Richard Smith, Utah Jazz director of basketball operations, who supports Guadalupe Schools. "He hasn’t used it for his own personal or professional benefit and he has had many opportunities to coach collegiately and professionally."

Former Utah Jazz Coach Frank Layden agreed. "Bob Hurley is a very special man who doesn’t let his success get in the way of what he feels is the right thing to do," he said. "He may be the greatest coach in America today at any level. He does such a wonderful job affecting the kids’ lives in a positive way."

Judge Memorial Catholic High School juniors Jacob Gondrezick and Alex Mancini served as clinic assistants.

"It was a cool opportunity to be around a Hall of Fame coach and see how he works with the kids," said Gondrezick. "I got a few drills that I can work on to improve my own game."

Mancini agreed this was a great opportunity. "When our coach, Dan DelPorto, told us about this, I was excited because of what I’ve heard about Hurley," he said, adding that it was fun to be with the kids and see them play.

The first time Hurley coached he was in the 8th grade at St. Patrick’s School. His older brother was unavailable and they couldn’t find any adults to fill the position. "I coached third- and fourth-grade kids and had them dribbling through the halls and around chairs in the cafeteria because we didn’t have a gym," he said. "I started attending all the games and preparing plays."

Hurley’s style of coaching involves signing a contract that, among other things, requires students to have a short haircut, no earrings or tattoos, and no texting or cell phones.