Gus Alfieri

Championship Basketball Player, Legendary Basketball Coach, Educator & Author

LAPCHICK

THE HEART OF A CHAMPION

BOOKS

LAPCHICK

More Info

THE HEART OF A CHAMPION

More Info

TESTIMONIALS

“

Coach Alfieri taught me the value of hard work while playing for him at St. Anthony's. His emphasis on the fundamentals built the foundation of my coaching philosophy.

KENNY ATKINSON,

HEAD COACH OF THE BROOKLYN

NETS

“

Gus Alfieri's memoir captures the essence of Long Island's Golden Age of Basketball, a time when it produced 25-30 D-1 players every year. Gus taught St. Anthony's how to play and his leadership led them to the NY State championship.

LOU CARNESECCA, ST. JOHN'S

HALL-OF-FAME

COACH

“

Alfieri offers a good-hearted, reverential homage to basketball great Joe Lapchick that's colored by the author's own experiences playing for Lapchick at St. John's in the 1950s...

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY

BOOK REVIEWS

“

Gus Alfieri has written a terrific book! Alfieri did a wonderful job of re-creating an entire era. Particularly impressive was the way he carefully detailed each major character with excellent description making everything seem fresh and new. Congratulations on the publication of this magnificent new memoir. Alfieri truly does have the heart of a champion

THOMAS MAIER,

AUTHOR OF WHEN LIONS ROAR AND PRODUCER OF THE TV SHOW, MASTERS OF SEX

“

This beautifully written and liberally illustrated volume (I counted 28 photographs with explicit captions) is one of the smoothest-reading sports books I have ever come across. Unlike many memoirs of sporting or show business personalities, Alfieri’s recollections are purely his own, and so is the writing...

-click to read more-

JEB LADOUCEUR, AWARD-WINNING WRITER, AUTHOR OF ELEVEN BOOKS

“

Coach Gus has clearly evolved into a phenomenal author, with a highly-entertaining writing style, which makes him an incredible story teller. The vivid detail he is able to recall the events, and how well he describes them, is nothing short of

mind-boggling.

KEVIN LONG,

FORMER SETON HALL PLAYER &

SPORTS ANNOUNCER

BIO

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Gus Alfieri was the point guard on Hall-of-Fame coach, Joe Lapchick's 1959 St. John's NIT Championship Team. He received his BA & Masters in Education from St. John's and taught high school social studies for over 35 years on Long Island. Gus Alfieri coached 2 state championship teams and earned national recognition for St. Anthony's High School which inspired his second book, The Heart of a Champion. Gus returned to school for his Ph.D. in American Cultural History at Stony Brook University.

With this foundation, he taught for 14 years in Stony Brook's graduate school while also writing a syndicated sports column in Suffolk County newspapers. Gus started the first sports book club in the country; this concept has struck a nerve and has gained national publicity. In 2006, he accomplished his lifelong goal of writing a book when the biography of his coach, Joe Lapchick was published (LAPCHICK). He is the director of the All-American Basketball Camp, which he has maintained for the past forty years; it is his legacy.

Gus lives in Smithtown with his wife, Janet & his golden retriever, Jake. He has four children & nine grandchildren. He loves to write & ride his bike.