Saint Michael's College

Cliff is a Saint Michael’s men’s basketball legend even though he never wore the uniform or attended classes at the College. For 40 years (1970-2010), Cliff played the vital role of sixth man, goodwill ambassador and official scorer for the men’s basketball program. A childhood fan of the team, he became a season ticket holder in the 1960s, scoring the game in a scorebook he would spread out on the wide rail of the Memorial Auditorium balcony. Head coach and athletic director Ed Markey ’51 knew of his talents and, in 1970, asked if he would like to serve as the team’s official scorer, a position he held for the next 40 seasons. Whether he was scoring games; developing statistical software packages for sports information; travelling thousands of miles in his own car, often transporting media or Saint Michael’s coaches and staff with him; or spreading the good word of Saint Michael’s College wherever he went, Cliff became an icon for the College, and always represented the institution well. In 1997, the men’s basketball program renamed the Doc Jacobs Classic MVP Award the Clifford J. Breiner MVP Award. On Dec. 7, 2010, the College recognized his remarkable service with Cliff Breiner Day at the Ross Sports Center, unveiling a new NCAA substitution spot on the sideline that features his name and years of service to Saint Michael’s.