Patrick John Bria lll
Better known as “Coach Bria” and affectionately called “Pat”.
A lifelong Greenwich native and proud “Cos Cobber,” Pat was a towering figure in the community — not just on the football field, but in the lives of the thousands he mentored, coached, and inspired and in the hearts of all who knew him.
Born and raised in Cos Cob, Pat’s love for his hometown and the game of football was evident from an early age. After playing at Eastern Junior High and on the JV team at Greenwich High School, he made a bold and selfless decision at just 15 years old: to stop playing and start coaching. That fall, he walked onto the field at Bible Street Park, and for the next 36 years, he returned every season to lead his beloved Cos Cob Crushers.
Coach Bria became the beating heart of the Cos Cob Crushers. Starting when the league was more pick-up than organized, Pat worked his way up — from assistant coach to head coach of the Juniors, to President of the Crushers, and a Senior Board Member of the GYFL. He devoted over 20 hours a week, every fall, for more than three decades — giving him the longest tenure of any volunteer in league history. Without ever having a child in the league himself, his commitment was rooted in his love for football, his neighborhood, and the kids of Greenwich.
As a coach, Pat’s record was nothing short of legendary:
9 Championships as head coach of the Junior team — including 4 consecutive titles
2 undefeated seasons with teams that went unscored upon
A remarkable 39-game winning streak from 1999 to 2002
While his teams earned countless championships, Pat never measured success in wins and losses. To him, football was a platform to teach young people discipline, responsibility, loyalty, teamwork, and pride — pride in who you are, where you came from, and who you want to be — values that extended well beyond the field. He believed that while few players would go on to be professional athletes, every one of them could become successful, respectful, and contributing members of society.
In 2017, the Greenwich High School football program was dedicated to him. Then-head coach and state champion John Marinelli wrote:
“Pat Bria’s biggest accomplishment is the number of lives he has affected.”
That sentiment was echoed again in 2021, when Pat received the Coaches Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greenwich Old Timers’. Former player Tyler Dietrich summed it up best:
“He taught us the rules of football, as well as the rules of life.”
Pat’s reach went far beyond the sidelines. Off the field, he was hilarious, endlessly generous and full of life. He had a legendary mischievous streak, lighting up the neighborhood with his 4th of July fireworks shows, thrilling kids with wild golf cart rides through Bible Street Park, and turning his home into an open-door sanctuary with children stopping by to hang out, to dozens of families on Bible Street and Cos Cob Avenue, he was simply “Uncle Pat.”
Those lucky enough to know him described him in words that painted a portrait of someone irreplaceable: Tough. Passionate. Loyal. Protective. Fierce. Funny. Intense. Fair. Generous. Relentless. Inspiring. Humble. Driven. Motivating. Devoted friend.
And of course:
“The Godfather of the GYFL.”
Pat Bria didn’t follow a path.
He made one — and in doing so, he left a trail that generations of athletes, coaches, families, and neighbors will follow for years to come.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Once a Crusher, always a Crusher.
Coach Pat…. A true legend
