March 20, 2008

Greg Stathis, 48, of Woodstock, GA., long time legendary coach of the GT ice hockey club, died Monday in Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, GA., of complications of his second kidney transplant.

Coach Stathis was the hockey coach at Georgia Tech for 17-years and was still on the job when he entered the hospital last Friday.

Previously, he had coached New York hockey teams at St. Peter's High School -- where he also taught -- Manhattan College and Wagner College and led those three programs to over 400 wins.

Born in New Dorp, NY, Stathis graduated from New Dorp High School. He relocated to Woodstock in 1991.

After kidney problems sidelined him as a player, he devoted his life to coaching and teaching the game. While still a New Dorp student, Mr. Stathis was offered a junior varsity coaching job for the Staten Island Ice Hockey Association Firebirds and led the team to a 16-1-1 record and a junior varsity championship the first year.

After high school, he earned a bachelor's degree from Wagner College. While teaching English and history at St. Peter's High School in the 1980s, he also coached the school's ice hockey team, leading it to several divisional titles and city championships in 10 years. At the same time, he also coached the Manhattan College hockey team and led it to three division championships and one Metropolitan Collegiate Hockey Conference championship in four years. He left Manhattan in 1987 and began coaching the Wagner College team -- again achieving success.

After decamping for Georgia in 1991, Coach Stathis accepted the coaching job at Georgia Tech. He notched 348 wins in 17 seasons and was the only coach to have appeared in all 10 Memorial Health Hockey Classics in Savannah, GA. He also served as video coach for the Atlanta Knights professional hockey team prior to coming to Georgia Tech, and led GT to a second-place finish and two third-place finishes at the nationals as well as several Southeast division championships. He won his last game he coached at the Savannah Hockey Classic tournament against arch rival Georgia 3-2 and coached GT to a 3-game sweep of Georgia during the regular 2007-08 hockey season. He also won the last game he coached in his career against Vanderbilt University, again with a final score of 3-2. No coach other than Coach Stathis has averaged 20-wins per season in the American Collegiate Hockey Association.

Stathis served as the commissioner of College Hockey South as well as commissioner of the New York City high school hockey association. "Greg was a small man in stature, but he had a giant heart and was the kindest gentleman I have ever known," said Sarge Day, assistant coach and business manager of the Georgia Tech team. "Greg was a man of honesty and integrity, traits taught to him by his parents, John Stathis and the late Cleo Stathis.”

"Greg was also the bravest man I have ever known, who fought one medical issue after another with tremendous courage while never complaining," Day added. “Greg was famous for seeing the good in everybody and his positive attitude in spite of his medical issues was an inspiration to everyone who knew him. To know Greg Stathis was to love him.” Coach Stathis always remained the trained educator that he was and enjoyed a 100% graduation rate of every Georgia Tech hockey player who played for him during his 17-year long tenure as the GT head coach.

According to Day, Coach Stathis insisted his teams play with “class and honor.” He strongly believed in the traits of Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal Courage and his teams reflected those traits.

Besides hockey, Mr. Stathis enjoyed playing golf and spoiling his two Yellow Labradors – Max and Sammy.

"My brother, Greg, was a loving, gentle, giving man who adored his family and touched the lives of so many," said George Stathis. "His devotion to his students and his passion for hockey influenced the lives of so many of his players, many of whom were still in contact with their coach 20 years later. He was a mentor and devoted friend to everyone.

"He was a very special man; I will miss him so much."

The funeral will be Saturday from the Colonial Funeral Home, New Dorp, with the liturgy at 10 a.m. in Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, Bulls Head. Burial will follow in Ocean View Cemetery, Oakwood. A memorial service in Georgia is planned for March 30th at 2:00 PM with the location to be determined. Go to www.GTHockey.com for updates on the celebration service for Coach Greg Stathis.

In lieu of flowers – the family is asking that contributions be sent to a fund that has been established to assist youth hockey players financially in the form of scholarships. In addition to coaching GT for 17-years, Greg Stathis and his beloved brother, George Stathis also owned and ran the largest hockey pro shop in the southeast – Hockey Time USA. He also ran an in-line hockey league at his Hockey Time USA rink in Woodstock, GA. When families did not have enough money to pay for their son or daughter to play in the league, Greg offered them a “scholarship” which he paid out of his own pocket. We want to keep that act of generosity alive by establishing the memorial fund. The family request that flowers not be sent and instead, interested individuals are asked to consider donating to the following:

(Make checks out to)

Greg Stathis / Hockey Time USA Memorial Fund

Mail to:
c/o GT Assistant Coach
Brian McSparron
620 Whistler Drive
Canton, GA 30115

Individuals are encouraged to send in any thoughts or remembrance of Greg Stathis that will be shared with the audience during the celebration ceremony. Any message that you would like to be read can be emailed to: SargeDay@Knology.net

Besides his brother, Coach Greg Stathis is survived by his wife of 17 years, the former Maryann Ryzkiewicz, and his father, John Stathis.