Patrick Behan, St. John’s basketball coach fighting ALS, steps down

When he was diagnosed with ALS, the first question Patrick Behan asked was whether he could still coach boys’ basketball. Doctors told him he should continue doing what he loved as long as he remained physically able. Behan led St. John’s to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship in February, inspiring people across the region and the country in the face of a vicious disease.

In the months since the season ended, ALS further deteriorated Behan’s muscles and threatened his life. He understood his time had come. He still loved to coach; his body would no longer let him.

Behan, 35, is stepping down, he said Thursday. His physical condition made the demands of day-to-day coaching impossible. He has lost his voice and all strength in his upper body. He can walk only short distances. Despite bidding farewell to something he enjoys profoundly, Behan is at peace with the end of his coaching career and is grateful for his final, triumphant season on the sideline.

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“Last year I was capable and gave it everything I had,” Behan said. “It feels better to end on top and even more so to do it amid the circumstances.”

Behan’s mind is still sharp, and he will stay with St. John’s in an advisory position. “More from an overseeing role,” Behan said. “Maybe not exactly Pat Riley.”

Behan spoke over Zoom using technology he relies on to communicate. He talks by scanning his eyes across a screen, which detects the words he wants to say and reads them aloud in his recorded voice.

Behan, a Leesburg native who played collegiately at Bucknell, compiled a 127-51 record in six seasons at St. John’s. He coached 26 players who went on to play in college.

Doctors diagnosed Behan with ALS in May 2022. The neurological disease, commonly associated with Lou Gehrig and the Ice Bucket Challenge, has no cure and carries a life expectancy of three to five years. Behan has a genetic form of the disease; nearly 10 family members, including his father, have died of ALS.

On a video call in early August 2022, Behan told his players and their parents he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness but that he would remain their coach. Once a month during the season, he flew to Boston for treatment.

“Even though I was dealing with struggle early,” Behan said, “sometimes it feels like you’re on a runaway train.”

In less than 18 months, the disease has ravaged his body, progressing harshly this spring and summer. He wears a BiPAP mask all day to facilitate breathing. He eats through a surgically implanted feeding tube because he cannot swallow food safely.

Behan spent the first two weeks of July in the intensive care unit at George Washington University Hospital. He had pneumonia, a blood clot in his lungs and severe stomach issues. He required a ventilator to breathe. The close friends and family running the Behan Strong fundraising campaign wrote to followers that Behan was “fighting for his life.” He was discharged July 14.

Behan’s condition stabilized, but he requires constant care at home. The hospital stay cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. He estimated his medical care and medication “easily” costs between $10,000 and $15,000 per week. Donations to the Behan Strong campaign have helped him stay afloat financially.

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St. John’s has not finalized a replacement for Behan. The most logical candidate is top assistant Patrick O’Connor, who has coached at St. John’s for seven years and took on additional duties last season. The program already experienced flux this offseason when forward Donnie Freeman, one of the Cadets’ top players, transferred to IMG Academy in Florida.

In Behan’s final season, the Cadets went 32-4 and Behan was named WCAC and All-Met coach of the year. They won the WCAC title when they defeated top-seeded Paul VI on guard Daquan Davis’s driving layup in the final seconds. Behan stood near Davis as he dribbled close to the sideline, waiting until the perfect moment to shout one of the final instructions of his coaching career: “Go!”

“Everyone involved came together and accomplished what as a program we worked so hard for,” Behan said. “I will miss consistently being with coaches and players and competing. This winter will feel weird, but I will still support as much as I can.”

After the WCAC title game, someone complimented Behan about the play design. He replied sardonically that he didn’t win coach of the year only because he had ALS. Behan’s coaching tenure will be remembered mostly for his inspiring fight against an unrelenting disease. At times, it overshadowed his formidable acumen.

“It’s crossed my mind at times,” Behan said. “But I think it shows over the years, anyways.”

Behan is not done putting his mind to good use. An avid sports fan, Behan will spend the fall watching golf’s Ryder Cup, the MLB playoffs and football. When St. John’s starts its season, he will add something else.

“I’ve got six TVs mounted on the wall,” Behan said. “So I will not be able to move as much, but I can view as much. In addition to college football, it will include game tape.”