Adrian Gilmore, Shoreham-Wading River coach and teacher, remembered as 'dedicated' educator and mentor

Community members and peers on Friday mourned the death of a Shoreham-Wading River coach and teacher, who they described as a "fierce" competitor that displayed class on and off the field.

Ad rian Gilmore, a high school coach who led the district's varsity soccer teams to county and state championships and earned multiple Coach of the Year awards, died after collapsing Tuesday at the district middle school, school officials confirmed Thursday night.

In a statement late Thursday night to the school community, schools Superintendent Gerard W. Poole said Gilmore was "not only a dedicated and passionate educator, but an outstanding coach, mentor and source of inspiration to many generations of SWR colleagues, families and students. For 20 years, Adrian served as a dedicated educator, most recently teaching sixth grade with unwavering commitment and care."

For Bayport-Blue Point girls varsity soccer coach Katina Cokinos, Gilmore was a competitor but also a friend and mentor.

"Not only as a coach, but as somebody who could juggle the responsibilities of being a great educator and having a family, and that inspired me to never give up anything you want," she said.

Cokinos described Gilmore as a "kind, empathetic, funny, strong-willed" person off the field, and "classy and fair" on the field. She was a fearless advocate for her players and cared for them deeply, she said.

"She never let anything get in the way of her being a class act," Cokinos said.

The coach recalled when the two teams clashed during the semifinals of a conference game, which Gilmore's team ultimately won. Before celebrating, Gilmore offered Cokinos words of encouragement.

"As soon as the whistle blew, she came jogging over to me and gave me the tightest hug and said that I was an incredible coach," she recalled. "Something like that just says so much about who she is and I hope I can return the favor some day to another coach."

Gina Bettenhauser, president of the Shoreham-Wading River Wildcat Athletic Booster Club, said she worked closely with Gilmore.

"She was like a super human being," Bettenhauser said.

Bettenhauser said Gilmore took personal interest in her players and gave "everything she had to her students" and the community.

"Each one of these kids was like her own child," Bettenhauser noted.

Islip girls varsity soccer coach Mike Reilly said Gilmore was one of Long Island’s finest coaches. Their teams often met during county championship games, and he recalled how passionate she was about the sport and her players.

"It was never about a legacy or anything like that," he said. "It was always about helping student-athletes getting to the next level, both as human beings and soccer players."

Reilly said though he and Gilmore competed against each other, they had a deep respect for one another. He said they would often attend games to scout players and were recently discussing the upcoming summer league.

"My heart aches for her family's loss," Reilly said. "She touched countless lives both in the classroom and on the pitch."

Becky Thorn, coach of the Eastport-South Manor girls varsity soccer team, echoed her colleagues' sentiments.

"She definitely was somebody who built a culture of winning teams," Thorn said. "Mentoring and developing future leaders; we don't definitely have a lot of that anymore and she definitely promoted that at Shoreham. Losing her in the soccer world, she left an impact in the sport."

'Her legacy lives on'

Newsday previously reported that Suffolk County police responded to Albert G. Prodell/Shoreham-Wading River Middle School on Randall Road in East Shoreham following a 911 call at 2:55 p.m. Tuesday for an individual with a medical emergency. The emergency occurred after school hours while students were present and witnessed the event, Poole, the superintendent, previously said.

Suffolk fire officials said at the time that a female patient was transported by Rocky Point Fire Department emergency medical service to Mather Hospital in Port Jefferson.

In his statement to the community, Poole did not give a cause or time of death for Gilmore.

In 2019, Gilmore earned recognition as the United Soccer Coaches Regional High School Coach of the Year for the East Region. She also previously coached lacrosse and other community programs, Poole said.

"More than her impressive achievements, Adrian will be remembered as a mentor for other coaches and teachers, a passionate advocate for children and a trusted colleague whose impact reached far beyond school walls," the superintendent wrote. "Her legacy lives on in the countless lives that she touched as a teacher, coach and community leader. She will be profoundly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her."

The district, Poole said, will be honoring Gilmore in the coming days, "as we reflect and remember her legacy." A GoFundMe campaign created for her family had raised more than $115,000 as of Friday afternoon.

No funeral details were available yet, Poole said.