Geoffrey B. Billet, assistant coach at Seton Hall University and a 1995 graduate of Christian Brothers Academy, has been named varsity basketball coach at CBA. He succeeds Edward Wicelinski who announced his retirement on April 24, bringing an end to a 27 year career in which he coached CBA to 625 victories.
A three year varsity starter at CBA, Billet was the point guard on the 1995 Parochial A state championship team and Shore Conference tournament championship teams in 1993, 1994 and 1995. With 1101 points in his CBA career (14th overall), Billet was named All-State in 1995. That same year he received the Kerwin Award as outstanding Shore area basketball player. In CBA basketball history, Billet ranks first all time in game winning shots (5) and fifth in assists (289).
A native of Middletown, Billet attended Oak Hill Academy (Lincroft) before entering CBA in 1991. At CBA, Billet played basketball with his two close friends, Gregory Gaffney and Frank DeBlasi and the trio helped CBA to dominate Shore area basketball in the mid 1990's. Other notable players of that period include Sean Bradley, Stephen Skrocki, Brian Lynch, Michael Wheeler, (CBA freshman coach) and Neil Begley, (physics teacher at CBA).
After graduating from CBA, Billet attended Rutgers University where he started as point guard and lead the team as they entered the Big East Conference. During his four year career at Rutgers he scored 1480 points. Graduating from Rutgers in 1999 with a degree in economics, he worked for one year as an assistant coach at Monmouth University. The following year Billet returned to Rutgers as an assistant where he was united with his brother, Todd (CBA ‘99) who replaced Geoff in the Rutgers line-up the year before. In 2001, Billet returned to Monmouth University as an assistant, where he coached former CBA players Jason Krayl (CBA ‘00) and Christopher Kenny (CBA ‘02), who replaced Billet at Monmouth when Billet left there for Seton Hall in the summer of 2006.
Reacting to Billet’s hiring, former coach Wicelinski said: “Geoff epitomizes what CBA athletics is all about. He combined talent, intelligence and a tremendous work ethic to excel during his basketball career. Those traits will help him continue his success as a head coach.”
The CBA Colt’s basketball team has competed on the varsity level for 46 seasons and has a total of 976 victories. Wicelinski was preceded by Vincent Cox who coached at CBA from 1962-1980, compiling a 350-100 record.