JERSEY CITY, N.J. | New Jersey City University mourns the passing of Thomas Briscoe `67 (M.A. `69), a Charter Member of the Lawrence R. Schiner Athletics Hall of Fame in 1979, who was widely considered perhaps the greatest men's soccer student-athlete in the history of the university. The former Director of Athletics at Kearny High School, Briscoe, of Naples, Florida, and formerly of Spring Lake and Kearny, N.J., died on November 18, 2021 in Naples after a short battle with an extremely aggressive glioblastoma cancer. He was 79 years old.

 

Briscoe was inducted into the inaugural Jersey City State Hall of Fame on October 13, 1979 as part of an esteemed group that included such legends as Donald Brandes, Irene Gaczynski Brierley, Charlie Brown, Fred Douglas, Les Fries, Thomas M. Gerrity, Denise O'Connor, Ann O'Donnell Russell and Steven Schindler. Briscoe would later be enshrined in the New Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame.

 

Since the program's inception in 1959, Briscoe is regarded as perhaps the greatest all-around soccer player in NJCU's history. A four-time First-Team All-New Jersey State College Conference honoree from 1963-66 at right half back and forward, he led the Gothics to four straight winning seasons and an overall four-year record of 31-7-2, including a 14-5-1 mark in the conference, playing three years for Coach Ernie Baer, and the final for Hall-of-Fame coach Robert McNulty. He is the only four-time First-Team All-NJAC honoree in school history.

 

Behind his leadership, JCSC was 8-1-0 in 1965 and 9-1-1 in 1966, with the team's only losses both years to Trenton State College (TCNJ) teams that won back-to-back N.A.I.A. national championships in 1964 and 1965 and were national runners-up in 1966.
 

In 1965, Briscoe was named a First-Team District All-America (NJ-PA-DE) selection and a Jersey City State offensive and/or defensive MVP in all four seasons, winning both offensive and defensive honors as a senior in 1966.

 

In an era where collegiate soccer teams played less than half as many games in a season as they do in the modern era — often 10 or fewer games per season — Briscoe graduated as NJCU's all-time leader in goals with 27 known and still is easily seventh in school history more than 55 years after he last donned a JCSC uniform. While statistics from the 1963 and 1966 seasons are incomplete or not available, his 1964 and 1965 totals were impressive — scoring nine goals in nine games in 1964 and 13 goals in nine games in 1965. He still holds the all-time NJCU record for goals per game (1.05). He led the Gothics in scoring for three straight years and the NJSAC in scoring in 1965.

 

During the 1966-67 season he participated in the East Coast Olympic Tryouts, by invitation. Briscoe also served as a kicker for Jersey City State's inaugural club football team in 1966 and his kicking ability later earned him a tryout invitation with the Dallas Cowboys.

 

Briscoe graduated in 1967 with a B.A. in Education and History and earned his M.A. in History from JSCS in 1969, before later adding an M.A. in Administration from Seton Hall University. He was a history teacher for 41 years, originally teaching at Kearny High School for 20 years, where he coached the Kardinals' girls and boys soccer teams.

 

After moving to Marco Island, Florida in 1988, he taught History at Lely High School in Naples, Fla. for 21 years. He coached the boys soccer team at Lely High School and the girls and boys soccer teams at St. John Neumann High School. 

 

One of the most active members of the Hall of Fame, Briscoe was still playing in men's soccer alumni games at NJCU well into his late 60s, often taking the field against alumni 50 years his junior. He had been appointed a member of the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee just prior to falling ill.

 

He was an expert in Irish History having traveled and studied in Ireland many times. In 2007, he was privileged to be invited to and attended the installation of Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein and Ian Paisley of the DUP as co- executives of the Northern Ireland Government in accordance with the Good Friday peace agreements.  

 

He is survived by his wife, Patricia, of 36 years and his daughters, Cherie McCain, Pam Johnson (Tim), Melissa Bortko, Tricia Canon (Ben), and son Michael; seven grandchildren, and his brother John — a former standout soccer player at Seton Hall whom Tom got the best of when Jersey City State defeated the Pirates in 1965 (2-1) and 1966 (3-2).

 

There will be a wake for Briscoe on Sunday, November 28 from 2-6 p.m. at O'Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Hwy 35, Wall, N.J. A mass will be held on Monday, November 29, at 10:30 a.m. at St.Catherine Church, Spring Lake, N.J.

 

In lieu of flowers please donate in Tom's name to Mary's Child Pro-Life Ministry, ? St. Catharines Church, 215 Essex Avenue, Spring Lake, N.J. 07762, or Avow Hospice, 1095 Whippoorwill Lane, Naples, Fla.

 

TRIBUTES FROM TEAMMATES

 

Bill McClung `67

"I played with Tom for four years from 1963-66. He was by far the best player during that entire time. He not only had amazing skills including one of the hardest shots I've ever seen, but his competitiveness was unsurpassed. Not only during a game, but before and after. He'd talk to the team to encourage us, let us know about opposing players he had played with and against previously, and was a cheerleader in a very positive way. 

 

I remember him picking up some of us in his 1950's Dodge, driving all over Kearny, East Newark and Harrison to pick up his teammates and bringing us over to the field in Lincoln Park in Jersey City. It was his way of making sure we all got to the game. So, he was not only the star player, but also the bus driver! 

 

Our junior and senior years he developed an interest in football place kicking and would grab me some evenings after soccer practice to hold footballs while he kicked them over the soccer goal posts. He would consistently kick them 50+ yards straight through. It got dark some of the evenings, but Tom insisted on kicking for a long time. If he missed a kick, he would insist on taking at least 10 more attempts that were good. 

 

In senior year, the college started a club football team that was outstanding (went undefeated, 6-0-0) and Tom was the kicker. But the catch was that Bob McNulty (our soccer coach) had an agreement with Tom and the football coach (Hall of Fame coach Jack Stephans) that after each kick-off, Tom would immediately run off the field. Bob did not want his star player injured in a football game. To insure that happened, Bob sat on the bench at every football game and after Tom kicked off, he would get up and start yelling to Tom to get to the sideline and not attempt a tackle. 

 

Tom had a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys, and I believe he was the last cut. I think he also had tryouts with some other teams. Over the years at our lunches he still talked about the disappointment of not being able to beat Trenton State…that bugged him until the day he died. 

 

Tom was Irish Catholic and a Glasgow Celtic supporter, I was Protestant and a Glasgow Rangers supporter. Some days after practice he'd grab me and goad me into a one-on-one game in which he would be Celtic star McNeil and I would be Rangers star Baxter…Tom would keep a running commentary announcing our "scrimmage" as we played. Of course I also lost! So you can see Tom lived, ate and breathed soccer. He played on many club teams, at alumni games and competitively into his late 60's and early 70's. I am proud and honored to call him friend. He will be greatly missed!"

 

Jack Thompson `67

"Tom and I played together for four years at Jersey City State. We were co-captains in 1966. One of my fondest memories of Tom and our games was our 2-1 win over perennial power Seton Hall in 1965. Tom's brother, John, a Hall star, scored the first goal; Tom answered with a tying goal in the second quarter. Late in the fourth quarter Tom tore up the right side and passed to the center where I was fortunate enough to bang the ball into the goal. Tom's joy lasted more than 50 years. This was the topic of our last conversation. Tom was a great friend and teammate."

 

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