Dean Emma, a physical education teacher at Thomas Jefferson, has been named interim coach of the school’s girls basketball team, athletic director Elroy Cooks told The Post on Wednesday. The school is waiting for principal Jim Anderson, who is out while his wife gives birth, to confirm Emma as Dwayne (Pearl) Washington’s replacement.
“We’re very excited,” Cooks said. “It’s early, but we’re very optimistic about moving forward. We think this will be a good foundation to build on the Thomas Jefferson legacy.”
The team should have no problems starting the regular season as planned on Dec. 2 at Banneker, Cooks said. The first-year AD said he officially received Washington’s letter of resignation Tuesday. The former Boys & Girls HS and Syracuse University star spent just one season on the bench for the Orange Wave.
Emma is a former head varsity boys basketball coach at Smithtown HS on Long Island and this is his fourth year working at Jefferson in East New York.
The Orange Wave, led by Providence signees Alicia Cropper and Danielle Pearson, have made two straight PSAL Class AA semifinals. The goal this year will be to get a step further.
“We’re looking forward to it,” said Emma, who started practicing with the team Monday. “We’re hoping to get to the Garden.”
Emma is also excited about his assistants: Dinero Young, Giles Jackson and Carlyle Burnette. Jackson is a dean at Jefferson while Burnette is the lone holdover from last year’s staff.
Young is a mainstay on the AAU circuit, now coaching for the New York/Philly Belles under the legendary Mike Flynn. He has been an advisor and mentor to the Jefferson players for years.
“I’m very excited about the opportunity,” Young said. “It’s a new look and a new direction.”
Things started off rocky last year when Washington took over. The players were hoping for Reuben McLaughlin, who coached them over the summer, to get the job, but he wasn’t approved by the PSAL based on alleged transgressions when he was coaching at Lincoln. They never seemed to click with Washington.
“We didn’t push ourselves to the limit,” said Cropper, one of the most highly touted players in New York City.
Emma, Young and the rest of the staff, Cropper said, are energetic. It’s exactly what she and her teammates were looking for. Young said that the season’s credo is going to be “unity.”
Last year, the team had to forfeit all of its league games in February when it was found out that Washington didn’t have his proper coaching certifications. The Orange Wave would have missed the playoffs, but the decision was overturned when the Department of Education said it was just a paperwork snafu.
The year before, boys basketball coaches Lawrence Pollard and Seldon Jefferson had to step in as coaches when coach Calvin Young, who built the program up from the ‘B’ league, abruptly resigned following a trip to San Diego for a tournament.
Dinero Young was emphatic that things have changed at much-maligned Jefferson.
“We’re positive this year, more focused,” he said. “The kids love the coaching staff. The new direction is positivity. We have zero tolerance for anything negative.”
Emma said he’s already been impressed with Cropper’s willingness to help her teammates and he loves Pearson’s work ethic. He said the biggest thing right now is to improve the players’ conditioning. If the Orange Wave do that, the ceiling will be very high.
“We’ll be a force to be reckoned with,” Emma said.