By Laura Amato
Robyn Granby-Poole couldn’t think of a more fitting tribute. After all, her father spent most of his time in the gym at Campus Magnet High School.
The school’s gym was officially renamed in honor of legendary boys basketball coach Charles “Chuck” Granby Jan. 5, honoring a career that included over 700 wins and 42 PSAL postseason appearances.
“I was ecstatic,” Granby-Poole said. “It’s been a long time coming and we’ve been trying to do this. I was just thankful and I was blessed that we were able to come together and make this happen.”
Granby, who died at age 81 in March, was a dominant presence on the sideline and is still a defining part of the Campus Magnet history – dating back to when the school was still Andrew Jackson. He coached hundreds of players, working with them regardless of talent or ability. He was simply determined to make sure that they became good people – becoming good basketball players was just icing on the cake.
“Educating the young people at any angle. All the other things are really minimal to my dad,” Granby-Poole said. “It was about what can you take from this and what can you learn. Don’t worry about the glitz and the glamor and the show. It was about what can you take from this to make your own.”
Of course, he enjoyed winning as well. And Granby won, a lot.
He led the Bulldogs to 27 divisional championships, seven Queens championships and four PSAL finals appearances. Granby won his lone city title in the 1984-85 season.
Granby-Poole is certain her father’s greatest legacy was the impact he had on the Campus Magnet community and at the renaming ceremony, that certainty was all but cemented.
It wasn’t just Granby’s former players, friends and colleagues who showed up – but also current Campus Magnet students, many of whom had never met Granby or seen him coach. They simply knew what he did and what he accomplished.
I’m hoping that this will be step one in enlightenment to the young people,” Granby-Poole said. “In terms of, not just because of my dad, anyone who had an impact and a magnitude, in terms of legacy, like he did. Young people can continue to come together and learn.”
Granby spent most of his time in the gym, pacing up and down sidelines and calling out plays. It was a dedication that defined him, just as much as the program he built. Now, that legacy won’t ever be forgotten.
My dad was fortunate to have people around that supported him and supported what he believed in,” Granby-Poole said. “The ultimate, though, was always education. He believed in let’s come together, let’s work together.”
