Celtic Pride

St. Patrick High School, a small, no-frills Catholic institution located in a rough urban area of New Jersey, houses one of the nation’s most storied high school basketball programs. Kevin Boyle, a leader who garnered multiple National Coach of the Year awards, cultivated that winning tradition, and brought the team to the top of its sport over the course of two decades. In Celtic Pride, sportswriter and author Brian Fitzsimmons chronicles a group of teenagers forced to juggle friendship and the immense pressure of being on the nation’s best team throughout the 2010–2011 season, while unmasking the man behind it all. This biography narrates how, with the help of a close support system and famous alumni now making headlines at the collegiate and professional levels, Boyle orchestrated a rags-to-riches story. Despite being hampered by a budget shortfall strong enough to present a potential death blow to his school’s existence, Boyle not only produced a number of high-achieving players but also earned the reputation of being one of the most respected high school basketball coaches in the United States.