EMERSON—The Borough Council honored long-time resident and Academy of Holy Angels coach Susan ‘Lid’ Liddy on her 800th career win with a ceremony and proclamation at its March 5 meeting.
Liddy, a 50-year basketball coach, most recently with Academy of Holy Angels, and other teams, was honored in a special ceremony with Mayor Danielle DiPaola, and councilwoman Ashley Rice. Rice, a former softball player on a Liddy-coached team, read the proclamation.
Liddy is also coach of AHA’s varsity softball and junior varsity tennis teams.
“You’re not only an example of dedication, hard work, strength, commitment and perseverance to all of your players, but to all Emerson residents, especially during Women’s History Month,” said DiPaola.
Rice read the proclamation honoring Liddy, noting that sge had led the Academy of Holy Angels’ varsity basketball team to four Team of the Year titles, multiple Bergen County championships, several state sectional finals and a state championship in 1989.
She said Liddy has also led her softball teams to state sectionals, most recently in 2019.
Reading the proclamation, Rice noted that Liddy had been inducted into her alma mater’s (Upper Iowa University) Hall of Fame, the New Jersey Coaches Hall of Fame, and the Borough of Closter’s Hall of Fame.
She said that AHA rededicated its gym floor in her honor in 2018. Moreover, she said Liddy continues to run AHA’s summer basketball camp for girls in fifth through tenth grades.
She said Liddy earned her 800th career coaching victory on Dec. 30, 2023, when the Holy Angels basketball team defeated Cresskill. The proclamation recognized Liddy as “one of the all-time greatest coaches in New Jersey sports.”
DiPaola declared March 6, 2024 as “Coach Susan Liddy Day” in Emerson. Liddy thanked the mayor and council for honoring her. “It was greatly appreciated but unnecessary,” she said.
“Winning and losing was never what I thought about. I just thought about making kids better, along with my coaches and the school. But along the course of time you do win,” said Liddy, who congratulated all her assistant coaches, and the kids “who have bought into the system we run.”