Battling cancer, high school hoops coach lands GAC job
Longtime high school basketball coach Joe Marelle, whose extended battle with cancer made him a symbol of determination, has rebounded from more adversity — in his career.
He accepted an assistant coach's job at Greater Atlanta Christian on Thursday, after being told in April that his contract as Mt. Pisgah Christian head coach wouldn't be renewed.
Marelle, 58, a teacher at Duluth High School, was coach for the past four years at Mt. Pisgah and led the Patriots to a state championship in 2006.
"We had a two-hour meeting, which I thought went quite well; then they said, 'We're going in a different direction,' " Marelle said. "That was it. I was shocked and very hurt over the decision.
"The parents were upset, and so was I, because there are some great kids over there, and I will truly miss them."
Mt. Pisgah athletic director Marc Felise said the job has grown to require a coach who can be on campus more often.
"As we're expanding, there have been more and more demands put on the head coaches with developing feeder programs," Felise said. "There were some complications because Joe is not a staff member at Mt. Pisgah, [therefore,] it's hard for him to fulfill those obligations."
Marelle, who has coached basketball for 29 years, is in remission for leukemia, lymphoma and bladder cancer. He has taught health education at Duluth since 1981. He has teamed with one of his former Duluth players, Braves catcher Brian McCann, to be spokesmen for the Wes Foundation, which raises money for leukemia research.
Marelle also helped Mt. Pisgah Christian generate $32,000 for "Cure for Pennies," the third largest donation of any public or private school in the nation. He is only seven victories shy of 300 total as a head coach but said he is excited to be an assistant.
"It's a great Christian environment, and I'm working for a guy I used to compete against," Marelle said.
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