Prep basketball coach Patrick Behan steps down with ALS

Patrick Behan, a highly successful prep basketball coach in the Washington, D.C., area who has ALS, stepped down Thursday, he told The Washington Post.

The 35-year-old Behan has coached at St. John’s High School for five years. He has sent 26 players to college programs and has a 127-51 record.

He was diagnosed with ALS in May 2022 and told the Post that he was no longer physically able to coach the team. He said he would stay on as an adviser.

“Last year, I was capable and gave it everything I had,” he told the Post. “It feels better to end on top, and even more so to do it amid the circumstances.”

Behan’s story was featured on ESPN in May in the 30-minute special “Nothing Else Matters.”

His mind is still sharp, but Behan said he’s unable to coach further. He told the Post he eats through a feeding tube because he cannot swallow food safely. He was hospitalized with life-threatening conditions earlier this summer, but was discharged July 14.

The Post reported his condition has “stabilized.”

ALS is a neurological disease that causes a body’s muscles to deteriorate and impacts physical functions. There is no cure.

Behan played collegiate basketball at Bucknell.