Remembering Sean Chavious, Brookhaven Elementary teacher and assistant football coach

As an assistant football coach at Bellport High School, Sean T. Chavious was a big part of the team’s success.

Chavious, who was also a physical education teacher at Brookhaven Elementary, died Monday at age 47.

“Sean Chavious was a beloved teacher at Brookhaven Elementary School, coach, and member of our community,” South Country Superintendent Antonio Santana said in an emailed statement. “His impact as an educator and mentor was a source of inspiration for so many in our school community. We are all devastated at his loss and continue to keep his family and our community in our thoughts and prayers.”

Chavious was a 1995 Bellport High School graduate and a three-year starter on the Bellport varsity football team from 1992 through 1994. He played both offense and defense and was a key part of Bellport’s 1992 Long Island Championship team, said Joe Cipp III, who coached Chavious.

As a running back, Chavious ran for a career 1,367 yards, the 16th most in program history, Cipp said.  He totaled 11 ½ career sacks, 12th most in program history, and was inducted into the Bellport High School Football Hall of Fame in 2018.

“He was an outstanding two-way player,” Cipp said. “He was a hard runner and aggressive, with a nose for the football on defense.”

After graduating from Bellport, Chavious went on to play football at the University of Delaware and SUNY Cortland. He graduated from Cortland with a degree in physical education.

Chavious joined the South Country School District in September 2006 as a physical education teacher at Brookhaven Elementary and joined the Bellport High School football staff, coaching the junior varsity and then moving up to the varsity to coach running backs and safeties. This would have been his 20th season with the program.

Head Coach Jamie Fabian said he’ll remember Chavious’s “passion and commitment to the program.”

Chavious’s death is “a tremendous loss to the community, our program, and his family,” Fabian said.

Visitation for Chavious will be held Friday at Robertaccio Funeral Home, 85 Medford Avenue, Patchogue on Friday, Aug. 2 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. with services at 8 p.m.