May 06, 2020
In Memoriam: Professor and golf coach Joseph C. Prisco ’49 & ’63Hon. made others’ lives better
By Nick Wesman’20G
Whether he was in the classroom, in his office, or on the golf course, Joseph “Joe” C. Prisco ’49 & ’63Hon. will be remembered for his approachability and willingness to help others.
Mr. Prisco died on May 6, 2020, at the age of 101. A full-time business professor at PC for 36 years, he also led the College’s golf program for a school-record 60 years.
Born and raised in East Providence, R.I., Mr. Prisco earned his bachelor’s degree from PC after having served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. During his college years, he was a member of the Friars’ club golf team.
He returned to PC in 1953 to teach business, specializing in economics, and retired in 1989. Even after his official retirement, Mr. Prisco continued to teach courses periodically over the next 20 years.
At the time he was beginning his teaching career, Mr. Prisco assumed the role of head coach for the club golf team he’d played for just a few years prior. Thus began a storied run as the longest-tenured head coach of any sport in College history. Under Mr. Prisco’s watchful eye, the Friars’ golf program gained NCAA varsity status and became a regional powerhouse.
During a four-decade run of NCAA competition, Mr. Prisco was at the helm for a multitude of impressive team accomplishments and individual performances. He coached 11 players honored as All-Americans, six BIG EAST champions, one ECAC winner, and three New England champions.
Additionally, Mr. Prisco’s teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament eight times, with 16 players competing as individuals. The Friars won the Rhode Island championship 18 times, the New England title three times, and the BIG EAST crown in 1980 and 1993 while under his tutelage.
By the time the golf program reverted to club status in 2002, he had been named NCAA Division I Coach of the Year eight times and compiled a record of 403-119-1 in 42 varsity seasons.
His love for the game and PC remained paramount, and he continued to coach for another decade before stepping away in 2012.
Mr. Prisco’s efforts with his student-athletes and dedication to the sport earned him a great deal of recognition. He was inducted into three halls of fame. The Golf Coaches Association of America called first in 1987. Two years later, his alma mater selected him for the Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame, and in 2015, he was inducted into the Rhode Island Golf Hall of Fame.
On the course, his players knew Mr. Prisco as a man who expected much from them, but who was more than willing to help them reach their potential. Students saw the same person in the classroom, where he specialized in courses on production management.
“He was firm, in terms of what he expected of students, but fair,” said Francis O’Brien, PC associate professor of economics. “He always took the time to explain to them what had to be done and how it had to be done.”
Those qualities transferred to the golf course. In a 2013 interview for a Providence College Magazine profile on Mr. Prisco, Peter McBride ’70 said of his former coach: “We weren’t on scholarship, and Joe stressed getting the education we needed. If somebody wasn’t doing well, he didn’t play. Academics came first.”
In that same article, Mr. Prisco laid out his approach to coaching and instructing.
“I wouldn’t interfere with one of my golfers’ play unless I spotted something drastically wrong. A lot of times, I wouldn’t talk. I would wait for him to ask for help,” he said at the time.
His approachability and willingness to assist those who needed it were hallmarks of his teaching philosophy. O’Brien, who had an office adjacent to Mr. Prisco for many years, noted many students would come to his office seeking guidance and assistance.
“There was always a steady stream of students coming to see him,” said O’Brien. “He had a genuine interest in his students and always took the time to discuss things with them.”
O’Brien also recalled how welcoming and helpful Mr. Prisco would be to new faculty members.
“He was on the faculty when I arrived and he was very helpful, showing me around, helping me integrate myself into the College,” said O’Brien. “He would go out of his way to help people.”
Mr. Prisco had a knack for bringing others together. The various communities of which he was part would often find themselves at functions he organized.
O’Brien recalled annual golf matches Mr. Prisco would arrange for faculty. Each spring, around commencement weekend, Mr. Prisco would organize a round of golf and a dinner for faculty members. Up until recently, he also put together reunions for his fellow World War II veterans of the 434th Squadron.
And right up until his passing, Mr. Prisco remained an active member of Our Lady of Loreto Church in East Providence, where he’d served as a Eucharistic minister, lector, and trustee.
“He was a lot of fun to be with. He was just a pleasant guy,” said O’Brien.
Mr. Prisco is survived by his brother, Arthur Prisco, and many nieces and nephews.
He was buried with military honors at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, East Providence. There will be a memorial Mass held at Our Lady of Loreto Church at a later date.
