Danny Brix – who was a standout at Monroe High School – also starred at Stonehill. He passed away Wednesday at the age of 30. (Photo: Stonehill Athletics website)
Just as the state tournament got underway Wednesday, the high school basketball community was hit with some terrible news: Colonia assistant coach Danny Brix – who starred scholastically at Monroe and St. Joe’s, then in college at Stonehill – had passed away suddenly at the age of 30.
Colonia Athletic Director Ben LaSala informed Central Jersey Sports Radio of the news Thursday morning when reached to discuss upcoming schedules in the state tournament, saying Brix died late Wednesday afternoon. LaSala didn’t provide any additional information on his passing.
The Colonia boys’ team was scheduled to open state tournament play Thursday as the three-seed in North 2, Group 3, at home against 14th-seed Fort Lee, but LaSala said the game now will be played Friday at 4:30 pm. The girls – the second seed in North 2, Group 3 – will host 15th-seed Belleville Thursday as planned at 7 pm.
LaSala says the Colonia team and community is still processing the news. He thanked Fort Lee athletics officials for their accommodation in delaying their game a day.
Colonia is coming off its first GMC Tournament championship since 2015, in which Brix and the Patriots beat his former mentor, St. Thomas Aquinas head coach Bob Turco, Friday night.
Brix played his first two seasons at Monroe under Bob Turco, who then left to take a head coaching job at Notre Dame. Brix then transferred to St. Joe’s, where he played for Bob’s older brother Dave, and won two GMC Tournament titles there in 2011 and 2012, playing with stars like Quentin DeCosey, and – in 2012 – a rising standout freshman named Karl Towns, who had yet to routinely go by “Karl-Anthony” Towns.