After working in the Merrimack Valley School District for 35 years, Kevin O’Brien retired from his post as athletic director this past summer. On Wednesday night, the Valley community honored him by dedicating the gym’s basketball court — a place where he spent countless hours leading practices and played a foundational role in the lives of hundreds of student-athletes — in his name.
Actually, the hours weren’t countless — O’Brien’s son, Kelly, estimated that his dad had spent at least 10,000 hours coaching games in that gym alone.
Over the course of his tenure, O’Brien served as the head coach of the boys’ basketball team and as the director of school counseling in addition to his role as athletic director. He led the boys’ basketball program to three state championships and was also a five-time recipient of the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Boys Basketball Coach of the Year award and a four-time recipient of the NHIAA’s Division II Athletic Director of the Year award.
“It’s an important night because it gives us a chance to honor someone who’s really a cornerstone of Merrimack Valley School District,” Kenny Edwards, O’Brien’s successor as MV’s athletic director, said. “He’s unselfishly giving of his time, his effort, his career to help further the careers of our student-athletes over our years. He’s won a lot of ballgames in a couple of different sports, but more importantly, it’s the lives that he’s impacted and the influence that he’s had on our community that has helped to shape this community and make it the great place it is.
“It’s important for us to honor him tonight, and to — in a small way — try to show our appreciation and to give back a little bit and thank him for what he’s done for Merrimack Valley over the years.”
When Edwards moved up to New Hampshire from Virginia after working as an athletic director in Williamsburg, he relied on O’Brien’s guidance to get him up to speed.
“Once I met him — from an athletic director’s perspective — I just had an increased sense of respect for him and all he’s accomplished,” Edwards said. “He’s been invaluable in helping me transition from an AD in Virginia to an AD in New Hampshire and specifically at Merrimack Valley High School.”
In front of a packed house before the Pride’s boys’ basketball season opener against Pembroke, O’Brien saw his signature revealed on the hardwood on both ends of the floor.
His name now permanently etched in the gym where he spent over three decades doing what he loved.
“This court dedication is a representation of each and every one of you,” O’Brien said, addressing his former players and colleagues.
He continued later on: “I cannot express enough my gratitude for everything this school and community has done. At some point tonight, I will walk out of this gym, but this community, this school, will never walk out of my heart and soul.”