Harborfields Grad Killed In Snowboarding Accident

By Jano Tantongco

jtantongco@longislandergroup.com

Brian Conners, a 25-year-old Greenlawn resident and former Harborfields basketball coach, reportedly died in a snowboarding accident on Saturday in upstate Highmount.

A former Harborfields High School football coach and Greenlawn resident died Saturday in a snowboarding accident in upstate Highmount at Belleayre Mountain Ski Center, reports said.

Reports from Highmount indicate that Brian Conners, 25, of Greenlawn, was killed following an accident that occurred while he was snowboarding on a trail at the center at around 11 a.m., Saturday. There were no other details available, but state police are reportedly investigating the incident.

While a senior at Harborfields High School, Conners also became close friends with Brian Dolan. They both went away for school for teaching after they graduated in 2009, with Conners going to SUNY Cortland and Dolan going to University of Delaware. Eventually, Conners felt he wasn’t in the right place, and discussed with Dolan.

Soon, they decided to come back home to pursue their true passion: coaching.

The two went on to study at St. Joseph’s College and soon found their place back home at Harborfields.

“It was truly one of his passions, and I’ve been joking lately, this was the first year that we didn’t coach together, and I have more losses this year than I did with Brian sitting next to me on the bench.

He just made everyone around him better just by being there,” Dolan said.

Dolan thanked his best friend, since he said he followed in Conners’ footsteps back to Harborfields.

“He’s definitely always going to be the better Brian, that’s for sure,” Dolan said.

Conners was regarded as a “phenomenal athlete” and “all-around great kid,” said John Valente, the school district's athletic director.

“It’s such a tragic loss. What he had in front of him was just unbelievable,” Valente said.

Conners began volunteering as a junior varsity football coach for Harborfields in 2013. When the position of head coach opened up the next year, he took it and stayed there for two years. He also earned his teacher certification.

“He immersed himself in the culture of it. There was no such thing as an in-season or off-season… Brian was just there to always do,” Valente said.

Then, this past year, Conners served as a JV football coach for the Smithtown Central School District, Valente said. Conners had aspirations to be a math teacher while also coaching.

“I think that gave him a flavor that was something he wanted to pursue in life,” Valente said. “The coaching is perhaps what made him shift gears in his field of study and wanting to give back to the kids. And, he was a natural at it.”

Valente called Conners’ ability to reach through to his athletes without “rah-rah” yelling nothing short of “magical.” Valente recalled speaking with Conners years ago at an end-of-season evaluation.

“You have a coaching skill set, and maturity and poise as a JV coach that many of my varsity coaches may lack,” he told Conners.

Conners is survived by parents Mike and Jackie, brother Christopher, grandparents Annette and Capt. Ed McGrath. He was predeceased by grandparents Charlotte and Donald Golden.

Visitation will be held at M.A. Connell Funeral Home (934 New York Ave., Huntington Station) tomorrow, 2-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Centerport on Saturday, 9:45 a.m.

Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital (Stjude.org) or to the Wounded Warrior Project (Woundedwarriorproject.org).

Dolan added that Harborfields is now making wristbands with Conners’ signature slogan, “Count on me.”

“Whatever it was, he would be there for you.”