Jim Bryers took over the boys’ golf program in 1993 from the legendary coach Don Bates, a National Coach of the year and a member of both the Connecticut Coaches and Berlin Athletic Hall of Fames. Jim coached boys’ golf for sixteen seasons compiling an overall record of 399-106-7. His teams won 11 Northwest Conference Championships and 4 State Championships in 1993, 2000, 2001, and 2004. Jim never expected to win a championship in his first year of coaching after it took Coach Bates 44 years to win his first. He accomplished this with one senior, one junior, and three freshmen. His teams were also State runner ups in 2002, 2003, and 2007. The boys’ team also won the Pisk Memorial Tournament three times in 2004, 2006, and 2007. Jim also started the girls’ golf program in 1994. During his coaching career he was selected as the CHSCA golf coach of the year and was a member of the CIAC golf committee.

Jim was an educator for 37 ½ years having graduated from Newington High in 1965 and going on to attain his BS in mathematics and his MS in education from CCSU. He started his teaching career in Seymour in 1970 before moving to McGee in September of that year and then onto the Berlin High. According to Jim the one constant throughout his career was the wonderful students with whom he was honored to spend his 37 years.

Jim married Kathryn Roby Byers, also an educator at Berlin High, in 1972 and they have two children: son Adam Bryers and his wife Emily Merris Byers and their son Christian James Bryers of Meriden, and daughter Robyn Bryers and her spouse Batya Elliney of Prescott, Arizona.