A LIFE INVESTED IN OTHERS

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January 13, 2026

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Honoring Coach Buzz Famularo’s legacy of coaching, volunteering and community outreach at Notre Dame Prep.

Notre Dame Preparatory School is proud to unveil the second class of its Athletic Hall of Fame, honoring three individuals whose impact on Irish athletics and the broader school community has been both lasting and meaningful. This year’s class features alumni Chris Burns NDP’10 and Taylor Timko NDP’14, along with longtime coach, volunteer and parent, the late Buzz Famularo.

As we get closer to that special night, we are profiling each inductee, one at a time. Coach Buzz Famularo is the subject of today's review.

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From the moment Buzz Famularo arrived on campus, his presence was felt well beyond the basketball court. A parent of three Notre Dame Prep graduates and a familiar face in the gym, hallways and stands, Famularo devoted more than a decade to the school as a coach, volunteer and steady source of support for students and families alike.

Buzz served in the NDP boys basketball program from 2006 to 2018, coaching at nearly every level. He was a head coach in the school’s CYO, freshman and junior varsity programs and a varsity assistant, meeting athletes where they were and helping them grow step by step. He also coached CYO and JV football, further extending his influence across programs and seasons. Wherever there was a need, Buzz was willing to fill it.

Those who worked closely with him quickly learned what set Buzz apart.

“Working alongside Coach Buzz, you quickly learned two things: he had a legendary and sarcastic sense of humor, and he had a heart of gold,” said Maureen Radulski, NDP’s HR and payroll manager and former assistant athletic director. “He had an incredible rapport with his players because they knew his high expectations came from a place of deep care.”

That balance of demanding excellence while prioritizing people defined how Buzz coached.

“Buzz was the kind of coach and mentor who demanded excellence, not for his own success, but rather to build character in those he worked with,” said NDP Athletic Director Betty Wroubel. “He poured himself fully into his athletes, his teams and our community, challenging them to rise to their best while holding them accountable with both an unwavering belief in them and heartfelt care.”

Buzz pushed his players to their limits on the basketball court, but he was just as invested in who they were becoming off of it. As Radulski noted, he would be the first to check on a player’s well-being after a tough practice or game, making it clear that his intensity always came from a place of love and concern.

Talent mattered, but effort and togetherness mattered more. Buzz paid close attention to each player, finding strengths that others might overlook and helping young men learn how to use them in service of the team.

Andy Durkin NDP’16, head coach of Notre Dame Prep varsity boys basketball, experienced that approach firsthand.

“It didn't matter how talented you were; Coach Buzz prioritized hard work and togetherness while coaching his teams,” said Durkin, who currently is principal of Holy Family Regional School in Rochester Hills. “Every player on Coach Buzz's teams were important and he made sure to push every single player.”

Buzz’s impact extended beyond practices and games. He helped develop an annual boys basketball retreat in Boyne City, intentionally grounding the program in the school’s mission of forming Christian people.

“He exemplified the mission of forming Christian people through his love for his family, his friends, and every NDP athlete he had the pleasure to mentor,” Radulski said.

The retreat reminded players that basketball was only one part of who they were becoming as students and young men. That same perspective carried into the season, as Buzz coordinated pregame chapel services before every game. He shared parables and stories that connected faith to daily habits — how players prepared, how they treated teammates, how they handled adversity and how they carried themselves on and off the court.

Wroubel noted that his lessons reached far beyond the athletes he coached.

“From leading retreats to guiding pregame reflections and volunteering across the school, Buzz gave himself completely to inspire others to reach higher, work harder and serve,” she said. “Notre Dame Prep is stronger because of his example.”

Buzz’s commitment was not limited to athletics. He was a major contributor to the Oktoberfest Parent’s Club event and a reliable volunteer within the Booster Club, consistently stepping into whatever role was needed. He attended concerts, games and events for his players, supporting their interests in other sports and the arts. His message was simple but consistent: you matter and you are seen.

Whether he was demanding excellence on the court or sharing a laugh afterward, Radulski said Buzz’s priority was always the well-being of his players — a consistency that earned trust and built lifelong relationships.

Even as he battled cancer — twice — Buzz continued to show up. He coached through treatments, attended games when he could and remained deeply invested in the program, offering a powerful, unspoken lesson in resilience and faith.

Durkin still carries a reminder of that influence.

“Even though Coach Buzz ran a tight ship at practice, he always found little moments to connect and bond with his players, which as a result, turned our team into a family,” he said. “To this day, I actually carry around a towel he gave me after coaching us to a district final game back in 2015.”

Buzz Famularo passed away on August 17, 2019, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. According to all who knew him, his legacy lives on in the players he coached, the colleagues he supported and the community he helped shape.

“Through his steady presence, quiet leadership and unwavering care, he embodied what it means to serve and care for others — an example that continues to guide Notre Dame Prep today,” Wroubel added.

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The Class of 2025 Athletic Hall of Fame will be formally inducted on Friday, January 30, during a special evening in the school’s main gymnasium held in conjunction with Irish home basketball games. The induction ceremony will take place at halftime of the boys varsity basketball game against Genesee Christian School, which tips off at 5:30 p.m. The girls varsity team will follow with its matchup against Genesee Christian at 7 p.m.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndpma.org.