By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

The late Troy Giordano, former girls basketball coach at East St. John, will be honored tonight at the East St. John gymnasium before the school and a host of his family, friends, and former colleagues and players.

A ceremony is scheduled to take place between the East St. John vs. Thibodaux junior varsity and varsity games tonight. The junior varsity contest tips off at 6 p.m. Giordano will be honored at its conclusion.

“We’re going to honor Coach Troy’s legacy, and give thanks to him for all he’s done for everyone,” said East St. John girls basketball coach Jackson Manuel. “It’s a way for us to just say, ‘Thanks for everything, Coach.’”

Manuel is in his first season as successor to Giordano with the girls team after tragedy struck in May. Giordano was killed in an automobile accident in Kenner while commuting back home to Belle Chasse from Reserve.

Tonight was originally slated to be the official dedication and renaming of the East St. John gym in Giordano’s honor. However, at last week’s St. John Parish school board meeting, the dedication issue was tabled until further review after Carolyn Jean Batiste protested. Batiste, a teacher at ESJ, alluded to issues with Giordano, but did not elaborate.

When reached for comment, ESJ athletic director Larry Dauterive said: “We had intended to dedicate the gym in his honor, but due to unforeseen circumstances, it won’t happen at this time.”

Dauterive went on to say, though, that because many people had planned to attend the proposed dedication on Wednesday, the school was prompted to honor Giordano nonetheless.

“We’ve got people coming in from across the country,” said Dauterive. “So we want to make it happen and celebrate his life and legacy.”

The gym dedication would have followed the renaming earlier this year of Wildcat Lane – the short street where the school is located – to Giordano Lane, a move championed by the parish council.

Giordano finished his career at the school with a record of 391-105, making him the winningest coach in the parish’s history. At home, his teams were nearly unbeatable over his 13-year career – at ESJ, Giordano was 124-14. In one stretch from 1996 to 2005, it won 96 straight regular season home games.

No Giordano team ever won less than 23 games in a season. His Ladycats won nine district championships – ESJ had never won a district title before his tenure.

While ESJ never won a state championship under his watch, it reached the state semifinals twice, and was ranked in the Class 5A top 10 in the state 10 of 13 seasons.

And nearly 20 of his former players went on to play college basketball.

Dauterive said Giordano loved his players.

“He drove from Belle Chasse for 13 years when he could have taken a job closer to home,” said Dauterive. “He was a fabulous team guy who would do anything you asked him to do. No job was too big or too small.”

Said Manuel: “We’re not just honoring a basketball coach. He was an educator. He touched the lives of more than just his basketball players.”

All of Giordano’s former players are encouraged to attend tonight.