The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Bloomfield inspired by memory of late coach, driven by its new coach
SOUTHINGTON — John Mirabello’s face lit up at the mention of Brooks Sales’ name.
“I’m a proud daddy, I’m so happy,” the Northwest Catholic basketball coach said. “Brooks is really special to me and to our program. When we first started to become successful, he obviously was such a big part of it.”
Sales scored 31 points, pulled in 26 rebounds and had four blocks that March day in 1998 against Prince Tech to lead Northwest Catholic to the first of Mirabello’s four state championships.
“What he did at Villanova, had a nice professional career, I’m really proud of him,” Mirabello said. “He also had the knack, the feel, the bug to help young people. And then this opportunity came about …”
It was at that moment, first-year coach Brooks Sales, all 6-foot-10 of him, walked into the CIAC championship luncheon at the Aqua Turf with his Bloomfield basketball team.
Great joy, great sorrow, this has been an emotionally complex 12 months for Bloomfield.
Last March, electric in all orange uniforms, the team celebrated its Division IV state title over Granby.
In September, beloved coach Kevin Moses, who led that team to Mohegan Sun and had served his community for three decades, died after a fight with stage 4 colon cancer. He was 55.
“Coach Mo, he was like my best friend,” said senior Howard Simpson, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds in the 2022 state finals. “Any time I needed something I talked to him. It was so hard losing him. But we all came together. We play hard for him every game.”
In November, Sales, who operates a regional
based basketball training organization to help young players with skill development, was named Bloomfield coach.
Moses also was a long-time football assistant and in December the team dedicated its run to the Class S state finals to Coach Mo. Ansonia would win, 28-21, but now, here again we find ourselves in March.
Bloomfield returns to the Mohegan Sun on Sunday at 3 p.m. for the Division III basketball finals against Waterbury Career Academy.
“Our season,” Sales said, “is dedicated to Coach Mo.”
Sales grew up in Bloomfield. He grew up in the high school gym, watching his older sister Nykesha become the USA Today National Player of the Year in 1994.
“I went to school with Principal (Jesse) White at Northwest Catholic,” Sales said. “Being from Bloomfield, knowing what it had just experienced, I reached out to him and offered my services, anything you need to help keep the guys in shape.”
White and Sales spoke. A job
as student support specialist opened at the school.
“The two kind of came hand in hand,” Sales said. “I came in, got the coaching job and was off to the races from the start. It was November, not a whole lot of time to prepare for the season.”
A state high school Gatorade Player of the Year and later a four-year starter for Steve Lappas and Jay Wright at Villanova, Sales finished his college career with 1,015 points and 858 rebounds. After a brief stint in the NBA, he played in Italy, France, Hungary, Turkey, Israel and Dubai over 12 years.
He had coached a few AAU teams, some Hoop Group stuff, served for a year as director of student-athlete development on Wright’s staff. He had absorbed all sorts of basketball knowledge and had trained a number of the Bloomfield kids since they were in the third grade.
Still, basketball acumen and coaching high school full-time are not one in the same.
“The experience with the game made it a little easier for me,” Sales said. “But also having guys who were so focused on basketball and athletics and were determined to repeat as
champions was such a big factor.”
Bloomfield High and Northwest Catholic are only three miles apart. The bond Mirabello and Sales have is 30 years deep. They talked throughout this year. They talk after wins and they talk when Sales needs advice.
“I’ll call him about anything,” Sales said. “I respect him so much. He always has been in my corner. John Mirabello, coach Karl (Herbert), Jay Wright, they are mentors of mine. Guided me through the process, even coming back from retirement and starting my own business. I look at coach Mirabello as a father figure. I love the man.”
“It’s a good feeling for me, because I remember when I first started,” Mirabello said. “Brooks is so experienced in the life of basketball. Being the coach now, with all that goes with it, that is a really different animal. He’s always looking for answers.”
Wright called Sales during Bloomfield’s 19-game winning streak to encourage him to, “Keep it up! Keep it going!” Herbert, a long-time fixture at Northwest Catholic, is Mirabello’s
assistant.
“I kidded Brooks that he is making this look really easy,” said Mirabello, whose team will face East Catholic for the Division I title Saturday at 8:15 p.m. “It’s not that easy.”
Simpson, the Kerr twins, Bloomfield has athletes who played football deep into the December playoffs. There was an early season loss to Windsor when Sales said his team was not ready. After a loss to Mirabello and Northwest Catholic, Bloomfield won 19 in a row before finally falling to No. 1 East Catholic in the CCC finals.
“I do think the thing I’ve learned the most about this year is about emotions,” Sales said. “You’re dealing with kids who have a lot of things that kids are still working through. Family issues, school, dayto-day emotions. Being in tune with that, taking the time to let them have their moments, experience life, learn from their mistakes is part of the journey.
“But honestly, our guys, have made it pretty easy. We don’t deal with too much off-the-wall, wild stuff. For the most part our guys have been very, very good.”
Sales, it turns out, was on the committee that selected Moses as Bloomfield head coach in 2019. Moses was a Bloomfield grad and athlete. He worked as a security guard at the school. He was one of those special guys who was able to walk that line between friend and mentor.
“The guys have great love for Coach Mo,” Sales said. “I think a lot of what they have created this year has been done on their own. They have done a great job. They are a passionate group. They understand sacrifice, love, honor, respect. They pour their hearts into it.
“Our season is definitely Mo driven.”
Sales driven too.
“He loves the game,” Simpson said. “He was a great player. He is a great coach. He brings the passion to every practice to make sure he gets the best out of all of us. We’ve got unmatched energy.
“We’ve dedicated this to Coach Mo. We know it would also be great to get (Sales) a ring his first year, too. Why not? Why not go back-toback?”