Passing of the torch: Marist enjoys 'seamless' transition from icon coach to successor

Loved ones have long grown accustomed to it: hearing Brian Giorgis shout excitedly, or angrily, while his eyes are affixed to a screen.

He was in Ohio last week, spending time with his sister and her family, enjoying his leisure. But there still was tension, and his emotions swayed with each possession, watching a live stream of the Marist College women's basketball team competing in overtime.

Giorgis, of course, was delighted when the Red Foxes pulled away in the extra period and he later perused the box score, noting the contributions of each player. There soon was a congratulatory text message sent to Erin Doughty, a former protégé who succeeded him as head coach.

"I've watched every minute of every game so far," said Giorgis, who also will head to Georgia this week to watch them in the Savannah Hoops Invitational.

This is retirement.

The 68-year-old spent the summer and early autumn traveling and golfing, attending sporting events around the country and his high school reunion, and the wedding of a former player. After 46 years as a teacher and coach, having free time now is freeing and, Giorgis said, he is beginning to check items off his "bucket list."

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Still, there probably never will be a real separation from athletics. He joined the inaugural Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament selection committee this fall, giving himself another reason to follow the sport closely.

Marist never is far from his thoughts, or view, but the former coach insisted he won't go to any of their home games or address the team this season. He plans to keep his distance and wants to appreciate the Red Foxes "just as a fan." Umm, a well-informed fan with a direct line to the coaches and administrators, but a spectator, nonetheless.

"They're turning the page, as they should," said Giorgis, who totaled 463 wins and led the program to 11 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships. "I don't want to be a distraction in any way."

The torch was passed last spring to Doughty and the program now is developing a "new identity," senior Zaria Shazer said.

It will be important in the coming months, and years, for the Red Foxes emerge from the shadow that his legacy has cast.

‘A little quieter’

"The biggest difference for me was going into the first couple practices and not having Coach there," said Doughty, who joined the team as a walk-on during Giorgis' debut season in 2002 and became a student-assistant coach as a senior in 2005. "I was so used to his presence."

Those practices are "a little quieter," she joked. Giorgis was known for his studious attention to detail, coupled with a demanding style and a faulty "volume down" button when fired up. There certainly is an audible difference, players said, as they've never heard Doughty yell.

"She doesn't even raise her voice too often," Shazer said. "She knows she has our respect and, whenever she speaks, she has our attention. So, if she does raise her voice at all, we know right away it's a serious situation."

That demeanor, and the ability to connect well with young athletes, were among the attributes Giorgis listed when lauding Doughty as she was announced the successor in 2022.

Doughty said her role last offseason wasn't that different from what it had been in recent years as the associate head coach. She already had taken the lead in handling recruitment and assumed some of the administrative responsibilities as the athletic department planned for a smooth transition.

"She communicates well and has been great at making it a family environment," said Catie Cunningham, a junior enjoying a breakout season. "I think that translates onto the court and it gives us the confidence to play freely."

The players' belief in her, Doughty insisted, was "all I needed" to assuage any nervousness about being a first-time head coach. Her staff includes Maggie Gallagher, Nick Volchok, Kiah Gillespie and Keylantra Langley.

"There's been no questioning of why we're doing this or that," she said. "They've bought in and have been receptive to everything. They've had our backs as coaches. I met with my seniors in the spring, and it was, 'Whatever we need to do to get better, we'll do it.' That set the tone."

Among those seniors were Shazer and Kiara Fisher, both of whom were pre-season all-conference selections. Shazer has excelled thus far, the 6-foot-1 forward averaging 20.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and five assists.

"The transition has been seamless and she’s doing a great job,” Shazer said. “She recruited us, so she already has relationships with everyone. That’s made the change easier.”

The team still runs the motion offense that Giorgis implemented, but Doughty and her staff "put some new touches on it" with a few schematic wrinkles.

Doughty chats regularly with Giorgis and there usually is an exchange after games. She knows he watches keenly and can offer honest assessments, so his text is sometimes responded to with a phone call.

"We usually see the same things," Giorgis said of their analysis. "I'm not telling her anything she didn't already notice. She knows what she's doing and she's a very good coach."

A new identity

Areas of emphasis include spacing and passing to and around the perimeter to create open shots in their half-court sets. The Red Foxes struggled from three-point range last season and "that has to improve," the coach said, to keep opponents from easily collapsing in the paint when Shazer and Fisher drive.

It’s merely a three-game sample size, so any conclusion drawn would be premature. But Marist is shooting 38% from three on 16.6 attempts per game, up considerably from the 27.8% last season. They also are averaging 17.3 assists, compared to 11.6 a year ago. It is very early, but a so-far-so-good in that regard.

"We want to push the ball and if there's an open shot in transition, have the confidence to take it right away," guard Jackie Piddock said. "We've been in the gym a lot, outside of practice, working on that."

Marist won the MAAC title in 2021 but graduated several key players and lost others to transfer. The team won a combined 20 games in the two seasons that followed, so their hope now is that this is the beginning of a resurgence.

The Red Foxes winning two of their first three is a modest start, of course. But for a team that dropped its first three en route to 12-18 last season, and has undergone significant changes, early success is especially important.

They’ve done that despite being besieged with injuries to key players. Marist has been without center Maeve Donnelly and guard Morgan Tompkins, who still is recovering from offseason surgery. Fisher is hampered by injury and hasn't played since a 10-assist performance in their season opener on Nov. 9.

The hope, Doughty said, is to have the group healthy and whole before they begin conference play on Dec. 16.

The team has been buoyed thus far by Shazer and the emergence of talented underclassmen. Piddock is averaging 11.3 points and 2.7 steals and shooting 50% from three.

Freshman Julia Corsentino erupted against Lafayette with 23 points, including 4 for 6 from three. Cunningham has averaged 9.5 points and 10 rebounds. The Red Foxes also have gotten quality minutes from sophomores Morgan Lee, Ciara Croker and Lexie Tarul.

"We haven't touched our potential yet," Shazer said. "We have a lot of new people, and people stepping into new roles, so it's going to take a little time. We have to prove how good we can be, but we expect a lot of ourselves, and I know we'll work hard. I think this season is gonna be good."

Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: College basketball: Marist finding its footing as Doughty settles in