Former Basketball: Cathedral Carmel dedicates gym floor to former coach – Gale Breaux – 1961-77

Amanda McElfresh, Daily Advertiser, September 27, 2013

Gale Breaux led Cathedral Carmel boys from 1961-1977

Click here for video of the dedication ceremony and more digital photos.  

Cathedral Carmel School students will be reminded of one of the school’s legends every time they enter the gym.

On Thursday, CCS dedicated its refurbished gym floor to former basketball coach Gale Breaux. From 1961 to 1977, Breaux led the boys basketball team to 10 district championships and five district runner-up titles. The eight-time district coach of the year amassed an overall record of 407-152, for a .730 winning percentage.

The new floor is the result of fundraising efforts from alumni and volunteers.

“I’m so glad that you younger people are getting to witness this,” Breaux’s son, the Rev. Buddy Breaux, said. “We all have such incredible memories of this wonderful place. I know there’s all these men and women up here who experienced the same memories I have. We just treasure them.”

Richard Sturlese, who played for Breaux in the 1960s, recalled him as a hard-nosed coach who refused to accept anything other than the best effort and commitment from his players.

“He was one of those to get in your face a little bit, to really challenge you. He demanded and expected excellence,” Sturlese said. “He did a lot to kind of knock you down sometimes, but he always built us back up and made us better than we were before. He expected the most out of you. The hard work, the roughness that he had was an effort to make you a better person, a better man.”

Breaux said his father was always concerned about developing young people as individuals, not just good players.

“He appreciates being recognized and he’s very grateful for the success he had. He had wonderful teams,” the proud son said. “More than anything, what he appreciates and what he treasures is that you have become wonderful people. You name someone, and he’ll say ‘He’s such a good man. She’s such a good woman.’ That’s the legacy. That’s all he cared about.”

Also at the ceremony, former player Bill Leyendecker presented Breaux with a plaque made out of a portion of the gym’s original wooden floor. Leyendecker said he saved the piece after a fire severely damaged the gym, and decided to gather some friends together and restore it when he learned of the school’s new efforts.

About 50 former players signed the plaque over the past three months.

“For me, this is a historical document. This represents the finest that Cathedral and Cathedral Carmel have ever produced,” he said. “Going through and getting signatures for this plaque, it was a connection to the past. There’s a connection between this plaque, this floor and Cathedral Carmel. It’s an epitome of success.”

A blessing and dedication ceremony for the new Gale Breaux Court is held Thursday at the Cathedral Carmel School gym in Lafayette. By Leslie Westbrook September 25, 2013

Family members of former Cathedral Carmel coach and teacher Gale Breaux, second from left, applaud during a blessing and dedication ceremony for the new Gale Breaux Court Thursday at the Cathedral Carmel School gym in Lafayette. By Leslie Westbrook September 25, 2013 / Leslie Westbrook, The Advertiser

Athletic Network Footnote:
Gale Breaux was a member of the SLI Men’s Basketball Team from 1954-58 and the Track/Field Team 1955-58.
His AN profile is current.