Memorandum from Mary Kay Murphy
Mary Kay Murphy, Ph.D. District 3  School Board Member and Vice Chairman of the Board

Still Playing the Game…at Duluth's "Coach Joe Marelle Gym"

   Duluth High School honored one of its greatest leaders and community treasures on a glorious Sunday afternoon in October 2003. 
   Coach Joe Marelle, the stalwart Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach at Duluth High School for 22 years, received accolades and praises as the school and the Duluth community dedicated the "Coach Joe Marelle Gymnasium."
   Duluth loves Coach Joe Marelle and he, in turn, loves Duluth. Of the countless community members who have contacted me to ask for my support in naming the new gymnasium at Duluth High School for Coach Marelle, one of the most profound came in an e-mail message, as follows:
   "Joe has been at DHS a long time, over 20 years I think. He took our boys to State at least once in basketball, perhaps more often. I am not up on the numbers in athletics, but I do know he has been a model to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of young men and women of good citizenship and Christian virtue. 
   "I cannot begin to tell you the number of alumni who have come forward since Joe's illness began over five years ago. It has been staggering and humbling to see so much love from these graduates."
   The illness referred to is lymphoma, with additional complications having developed more recently. Coach Marelle's response to his cancer has been bold, exemplary, and beyond courageous. 
   Curtis Bunn, sports writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reported, "When his spleen was extracted two years ago, doctors told him he had to miss some time. But with 48 staples in his body to hold the wound together, Marelle had his bed raised, walked out of the hospital, and coached a game the next day."
   Others report the love and respect the Duluth community holds for Coach Marelle. "Joe is beloved by the student body," one says. 
   "Two years ago, the student newspaper or yearbook did a poll of the students asking who among the faculty they would name as Mr. Duluth High School. Joe Marelle won hands down. They have not run a new poll since then, but Coach Marelle would be the front runner even today, I bet."
   Another e-mail revealed a dimension of the Duluth community's love affair with Coach Marelle. "The School Board can go ahead and do what the people of Duluth want," the writer shared with me. "And what is right is to let Joe enjoy the accolades and the honor while he is with us. Please name the new gym after Joe Marelle. 'Joe's Gym' has a great ring to it."
   Indeed, there is now a "Coach Joe Marelle Gym" at Duluth High School. This is the second major gymnasium that Coach Marelle built as Athletic Director and Head Basketball Coach for Duluth High School. He provided leadership in naming the first gymnasium as "Memorial Gym" in honor of all the students and Duluth supporters who have died. 
   With the community's leadership and direction, the second gym has been named for Coach Joe Marelle himself. Community means a great deal to Coach Joe Marelle. The Duluth community has had its say in what is important to its members. Overwhelmingly, the community reports that it is important for Duluth students to know and respect the history of Duluth-and of those who contributed to that history. 
   At the top of the list is Coach Joe Marelle, honored on October 19, 2003, by legions of his fans and supporters. These included his current and former students; his colleagues in coaching throughout the state; his fellow faculty and staff members at Duluth High School and throughout Gwinnett County Public Schools; parents, friends, and community members in Duluth; and-above all-his wife Cathy and their three children.
   Many community leaders have lined up to salute and celebrate the contributions that Coach Joe Marelle has made to youth, to athletics, and to his community. These include Governor Roy Barnes who in 2000 named a day for Coach Marelle. The Gwinnett Tipoff Club each year for four years has named a student to receive the "Joe Marelle Courage Award." 
   "He is the personification of a life dedicated to basketball," reports Curtis Bunn, AJC sports writer.
   Coach Marelle needs basketball, and basketball needs him. "Coaching keeps my competitive edge," Coach Marelle told Curtis Bunn. "I really do love the game, working with the kids. There's so much satisfaction to it." 
   At 53, Coach Marelle refuses to walk away from the game-or the students.
   "My game is a little complicated," the Coach told Curtis Bunn. "Some days I'm laid back, and some days I'm pressing full court.
   "The main thing is that I'm still playing the game."
   And, after October 19, 2003, some of those games will be played in the "Coach Joe Marelle Gym at Duluth High School." 
   As the District III Board member, it was my privilege to make the motion, unanimously supported by our Board, to name Duluth High School's new gymnasium what some are already calling, "Joe's Gym." 

102003

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