Meet our Spring Coaches

How many years of playing/coaching experience do you have? What have you learned from your past experiences that will make you a great coach? I have been coaching lacrosse since 2013, working with several different youth and high school programs, including town programs, select teams, and non-profit organizations. Throughout my coaching career, I have had the pleasure of working with student-athletes of varying skill levels and from a wide array of backgrounds. I believe that this past experience has allowed me to adapt quickly to many different roles and situations and will enable me to be a great coach for the Brimmer student-athletes. I grew up playing lacrosse in Winchester, MA, and played at St. Sebastian’s School and Avon Old Farms before playing collegiately at the University of Richmond and later at Boston College.  I still actively play in men’s leagues around Boston whenever possible.  

Why do you enjoy coaching? I enjoy coaching because of the relationships that I am able to see develop between teammates over the course of a season. As a child, sports were a great vehicle for me to develop lifelong friendships, and I take great pride in being able to be a small part of that process for the next generation of student-athletes.   

What is your favorite hobby? My favorite hobby outside of either playing or coaching lacrosse is deep sea fishing for striped bass, bluefish, and yellowfin tuna.  

Any other fun facts that would be fun to share with our community? I love learning about world history and globalization and often spend my free time reading about these subjects or watching historical documentaries.

How many years of playing/coaching experience do you have? What have you learned from your past experiences that will make you a great coach? I have 20 years of experience coaching hockey and lacrosse. I played and coached at the college level at Chapman University in Orange, CA. I previously coached at Brimmer from 2008-2010, and I am excited to be back. I’ve learned from my past experiences that effort and attitude are the keys to success.

Why do you enjoy coaching? I enjoy coaching to help the athletes to experience the "get it" moment when they take that step forward.  

What is your favorite hobby? My favorite hobbies are fishing and my watching son's hockey and lacrosse games. 

How many years of playing/coaching experience do you have? What have you learned from your past experiences that will make you a great coach? I have been playing tennis for as long as I can remember, as I grew up in a tennis family. I played varsity tennis in high school and taught tennis to children for three summers during high school and college. Tennis is an important part of my life and I continue to play competitive and recreational tennis at Longwood Cricket Club.  As someone who continues to compete, I understand the importance of the mental as well as the technical part of the game. I also understand how important it is to stay loose and have FUN.  

Why do you enjoy coaching? I enjoy getting to know the girls, creating a supportive environment, and meeting them where they are in terms of their tennis skill.  I plan to work with the girls individually to create a personal tennis goal for the season and also work with them collectively to determine a team goal that will take into account hard work, being supportive of each other, and proudly representing Brimmer. I see great things ahead for our team!

What is your favorite hobby? Besides tennis?! I also play paddle tennis, ski, and I'm learning to play ice hockey!

Any other fun facts that would be fun to share with our community! I am married, have three kids, and a pet Holland Lop rabbit named Moshi. Oh, and I’m a lefty.

  

Years coaching? Coach Graves coached from 2005-2007 for the Girls' Middle School Lacrosse team at the Bement School. At Brimmer, she has been coaching the past three years as the Head Varsity Girls’ Lacrosse Coach. She was also the assistant coach for Girls’ Varsity Soccer.

Years coaching at Brimmer? Championships or tournaments won? Coach Graves has been coaching the Brimmer Gators for four seasons. 

Years playing or participating in your particular sport? Coach Graves began playing lacrosse in middles school and high school then went on to play Division III Lacrosse at Wheaton College.

Why do you coach? “I coach because I love the game! I also very much enjoy coaching at the high school level, as it gives me an opportunity to work with the older students at Brimmer and get to know them better.”

Years coaching? Coach Hill has been coaching tennis since 1963.

Years playing or participating in your particular sport? Coach Hill started playing tennis at a young age and continued throughout high school and college.

Why do you coach? “I teach and coach tennis to instill an appreciation of the game of tennis first and to show that it is indeed a game that you can play for a LONG time. At the team level, I show how important it is to be a part of a team and stress the importance of preparation, dedication, and just plain hard work to become a member of a team.”

BOB DONAHUE - Assistant Coach

Years coaching? Coach Murray has been coaching at Brimmer for two decades. He has coached the boys JV soccer team, the curling team and the varsity softball team.

Years coaching at Brimmer? Championships or tournaments won? Coach Murray has coached two championships teams in softball and four championship teams in curling.

Years playing or participating in your particular sport? Coach Murray has played a variety of sports throughout his life including baseball, soccer, and curling.

Why do you coach? “I coach at Brimmer because I love being able to work with our students in so many different facets of their lives. It's wonderful to have the opportunity to get to know students in and out of the classroom. “

 

TOM NELSON – Assistant Coach

Years coaching? Coach Nelson has been coaching for 15 years. He has coached basketball at the high school and college level. He is currently coaching one of the top AAU teams in the country. This will be Coach Nelson’s second season coaching softball, however, he has coached the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team for six seasons.

Years playing or participating in your particular sport? Coach Nelson started playing basketball at a young age and continued playing in college at Holy Cross.

Why do you coach? “I coach because I have the ability to mentor, teach, and mold lives in a positive manner. I help my athletes learn that hard work and teamwork will be traits that will last with them their whole lives.”

Years coaching? Coach Gallon has been coaching for ten plus years. He has coached various sports at the middle school level.

Years coaching at Brimmer? Championships or tournaments won? Coach Gallon has been coaching at Brimmer since 2015.

Why do you coach? Coach Gallon coaches at Brimmer because he values Brimmer’s commitment to interdisciplinary perspectives. He enjoys working with youth athletes and helping them not only develop athletic skills but life lessons.

Years coaching? Coach Iuliano has been coaching since 1982. He coached his first baseball team when he was in high school.

Years coaching at Brimmer? Championships or tournaments won? Coach Iuliano has been coaching Brimmer teams for 18 years. This is his third year as Varsity Baseball head coach. In his first year, he took the Gators to the MBIL championship game. Last year the team won its third league championship in four years and the first under Coach Iuliano. The team’s record during the past two years is 20-5.

Years playing or participating in your particular sport? Coach Iuliano began playing baseball at a young age. He played for community teams from Little League through American Legion. He has high school baseball playing experience and 12 years playing in the Boston Men's Senior Baseball League where he was a member of two championship teams.

Why do you coach? “I love to teach the game, including skills and strategies. It is fun to see the players compete and have fun. Baseball is a collaborative thinking and doing game. When a player succeeds it is because he has used both his mental and physical skills often in concert with similar efforts from his teammates.”

Years coaching? Coach Kula has coached multiple sports at the Newton and Lexington public schools.

Years coaching at Brimmer? Championships or tournaments won? Coach Kula just finished his first season coaching the 6th-grade basketball team and is looking forward to working some of the same athletes this spring.

Years playing or participating in your particular sport? Coach Kula played basketball at Brimmer and AAU from 6th to 10th grade.

Why do you coach? “I grew up playing sports at Brimmer and always looked up to my coaches. They help us realize that being a good team is more important than beating one. It is extremely rewarding to give kids the right tools and watch them build a team that they enjoy being a part of.“