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Coaches' Corner: Brooks boys basketball coach John McVeigh

Wednesday, February, 20 By Alan Siegel
Staff writer

Brooks boys basketball coach John McVeigh is one of the region's biggest hoops junkies.

While studying for his master's degree in environmental chemistry at Duke University, he attended games and volunteered at practices.

"I got a lot out of watching them," he said with a laugh, "they didn't get anything out of me."

Coaching is in McVeigh's blood. His father Mike, also a boys hoop coach, is a North Andover legend. A Merrimack College graduate (1998), John is now in his fifth season at the helm for Brooks. This spring will be his fourth season as the girls lacrosse coach at Andover High.

John, the director of college counseling at Brooks, married his wife Candice in 2004. They have a son, Jack, who's about to turn 2, and are expecting a second child this year. We caught up with John this week.

1. What was it like experiencing Duke basketball first-hand?
"It's a different world down there. To be in that environment ..."

2. What was your favorite memory of being down in Durham (N.C.)?
"There's no doubt, I brought my dad down for the Duke-North Carolina game at Cameron (Indoor Stadium). That was my all-time favorite memory."

3. Is Cameron as insane as it appears to be?
"It's a much smaller place than what it looks like on TV. That contributes to it. There's just no space. If you go down there when there's a big crowd, there's no space to stand and breathe."

4. Your dad must've loved it, huh?
"He was just in shock. It was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I had gotten the ticket the night before. He figured out a way to get down there."

5. Did you know any of the stars at the time?
"(Current L.A. Clippers star) Elton Brand -- he lived downstairs from me -- he and (All-American guard) Trajan Langdon were two of the nicest guys around. They enjoyed being there, they didn't take it for granted."

6. Elton Brand always looked like a force of nature in college. What was it like watching him up close?
"He's a beast. I played pick-up with those guys. The only other guy (who could match up with him) was (UNC's) Julius Peppers (now one of the top defensive linemen in the NFL). He's one of the strongest guys I've ever seen on the court."

7. You coach lacrosse as well. Has the sport's explosion, especially for girls, surprised you?
"It's incredible. The popularity of it, and certainly in our area, the level of play has improved. I tell all my parents, the sport's still at a stage where you can pick it up in high school and be great at it. In basketball you don't see that very often."

8. Do you see lacrosse growing even more?
"I think so. Nothing I've seen seems to suggest anything different. It's going to go through some changes over the years. It's progressing."

9. You coached (UConn-bound Tilton junior) Alex Oriakhi for a year at Brooks. Do you still talk to him?
"Every once in a while. He's having a nice year at Tilton. I really enjoyed my year with him. It's going to be fun watching him on ESPN in a few years. He was never impressed by himself. As much hype as there sort of was surrounding him, he always wanted to get better. That's really refreshing."

10. Has it been nice watching Alex Skinner (of Bradford) have a great year?
"Nothing has made me happier this winter. No one deserves it more. As good as he is as a basketball and a tennis player, he's an even better young man."

11. What do you think has made the difference, going from a 4.7-point-a-game scorer last year as a junior to almost 20 a game this year?
"Confidence. He took some of the pressure off himself. He had some good games early ... he needs to keep shooting, whether or not it goes in. When teams have gone out of their way to take him out of the game, he's done a great job involving other people."