Chosen as Lyndon State College’s Athlete of the Year in 1988, Mark O’Brien '89 had no shortage of personal achievements on either the basketball court or baseball diamond. A four-year varsity player for the Hornets in both sports, Mark totaled more than 1,000 career points on the hardwood, becoming one of only 13 players to do so. In February 1986, he was chosen as a Vermont College Basketball Player of the Week. He captained the basketball team during the 1986-87 and 1987-88 seasons and served as the team’s assistant coach for the 1988-89 season. During the 1988 season, he was captain of the baseball team, was chosen as the team’s most valuable player and earned a position on the 1988 All-Mayflower Conference team.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1989, he promptly put his skills to work, landing a job at the Bancroft School, a co-educational, independent K-12 day school located in Worcester, MA. Still a faculty member there, he teaches physical education to children in all grades. In addition, he coaches the boys’ varsity basketball, baseball and cross-country teams, as well as the girls’ varsity cross-country team.
His coaching career has numerous highlights. He led the boys’ hoop team to Eastern Independent League (EIL) championships in 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1996-1997, earning EIL Coach of the Year honors during each of those seasons. (EIL is an affiliation comprised of independent schools in Maine and Eastern Massachusetts with male and female enrollment of 150 or less in grade 9-12.) Under his guidance, the team authored a league record 29-game winning streak from 1994-97. In 1995, the Bancroft basketball team was invited to the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) Class D tournaments for the first time in the school’s history; participation is based on current season’s performance and is by invitation only. Since their initial appearance, the boys have been NEPSAC semi-finalists in 1996 and 1997.
On the baseball field, Mark has a coaching record of 79 wins and 43 losses (.647), which is one of the many reasons that he has twice been honored as EIL Coach of the Year (1994, 1997). As a cross-country coach, Mark’s winning percentage exceeds 70 for both boys (.781) and girls (.730). In 1997 alone, he captured EIL Coach of the Year honors for successfully motivating both genders.
Aside from his teaching and coaching prowess, Mark is also a dedicated family man. He and his wife, the former Susan Denoncour ’88, are the parents of two children: Shannon Michelle, age 4, and Connor Joseph, age 1.
Mark O’Brien gave a lot to LSC during his years here as a student. He continues to do the same at the Bancroft School, where he is an integral part of the school’s success. This past summer the school constructed a ropes and challenge course based on a proposal that Mark wrote. Clearly, Mark is a tremendous asset to whatever endeavor he chooses to undertake.
