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St. Augustine honors ‘Coach Griff’
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By Ron Brocato
Clarion Herald
A very special coach was awarded a very special recognition when St. Augustine High School named its basketball court in Bernard Griffith’s honor on Nov. 18.
The ceremony at the reopening of the Watson Jones Memorial Gymnasium came prior to the Purple Knights’ basketball 72-37 win over Higgins in the 2024-25 season-opening game.
During his 18 seasons as head coach, Griffith’s teams won three Class 5A state championships, captured the Catholic League title 13 times – including 11 consecutively – and compiled a record of 491-127.
A former assistant to Jones, for whom the school’s gym is named, Griffith became the head coach in 1987 and began his legacy of success, which includes being inducted into the Allstate Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, the Louisiana High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Xavier University Hall of Fame.
He has also coached at Dillard University and Southern University New Orleans.
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