Connecticut High School Coaches Association

For Immediate Release

 

Connecticut High School Coaches Association

 

Presents

 

Hall of Fame Class - 2022
Ten Inductees to be Honored at 45th Annual Induction Program on May 11

(Cheshire, CT) – The Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) has announced the 2023 CHSCA Hall of Fame inductees.  George Babcock, Vickie Fulkerson, Joe Grippo, Suzanne Hoyt, Richard Kosta, Robert Murray, Ron Pires, James Riccitelli, Patrick Risley, Pete Tucci have been selected for the CHSCA Hall of Fame Class of 2023.  

These outstanding individuals will be honored at the 45th Annual Induction Ceremony and dinner on May 11 at 6:30 pm at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington, CT.

Tickets to the event are $65 and include family-style dinner.  For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.chsca.org. or email for Len Corto more information or group ticketing at chscaevents@outlook.com

 

Babcock, Grippo, Hoyt, Kosta, Murray, Pires, Riccitelli, Risley, and Tucci were all selected based on the outstanding overall body of their work as high school coaches in their specific sport. Fulkerson was selected for her outstanding contributions in media. 

 

“” This Hall of Fame class is a legendary group of individuals that have contributed to education-based athletics throughout our state.  Each year the selection of the CHSCA Hall of Fame becomes more competitive, however we are very proud of this year’s class, said Babby Nuhn, CHSCA Hall of Fame Chairperson. “”

 

 Hall of Fame Inductees - Brief Selection Biography 

 

George Babcock coached Softball at Wolcott High School for 30 years, finishing his career with a record of 438-204 for a .682 winning percentage. He led Wolcott Softball to a Class L State Championship in 1992, breaking Ledyard’s 47-game winning streak.  His teams also won league championships in the NWC (1984) and NVL (2001). Babcock was named CHSCA Softball Coach of the Year in 1995 and inducted into the Hall of Fame of both the Waterbury Sportsmen's Club and the Wolcott Circle of Sports. He also helped build softball programs in Wolcott, founding the Wolcott Laurelettes and Wolcott Girls Softball Program. Babcock passed away in 2019.

 

Vickie Fulkerson is a decorated and trusted print sports journalist for the New London Day, working as a writer and editor covering Connecticut sports for 33 years. She currently serves as Scholastic Sports Editor for the paper, covering southeastern Connecticut high school sports and supervising and coordinating All-Area teams for each scholastic season.  She also has covered UConn Women’s Basketball, Coast Guard Academy Football, and the Norwich Navigators as a beat writer. Fulkerson is a seven-time first-place winner of the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists writing award and was inducted into both the Connecticut Scholastic and Collegiate Softball Hall of Fame and Connecticut Girls Soccer Coaches Association Hall of Fame. A native of Niantic and graduate of Stonington High School and Boston University, Fulkerson also serves as a member of the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance and as Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame program biographer.

 

Joe Grippo is inducted for his coaching excellence in two sports, coaching Girls Basketball for 34 years and Girls Volleyball for 33 years at The Morgan School.  In Girls Basketball, his program went 593-223 for a .730 winning percentage and won two Class M State Championships in 1996 and 2000. He led Girls Basketball to three state runner-up finishes and seven league championships in the SAC.   In Girls Volleyball, his teams went 620-104 for a .860 winning percentage and 12 Class M State Championship wins, including seven straight from 1992-1998. He led the Girls Volleyball to seven state runner-up finishes and 25 league championships in the SAC. He was named CHSCA Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year in 1996, a finalist for National High School Athletic Coaches Association Girls Volleyball Coach of the year three times, SCA Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2006. Grippo was inducted into the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame and the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame, and was awarded the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance Gold Key and a CIAC Girls Basketball Merit Award.

 

Suzanne Hoyt coaches Swimming & Diving at Glastonbury High School, serving as the Boys coach in her 32nd year and Girl’s coach in her 19th year. She has led the Boys program to a record of 354-65 for a .845 winning percentage and the Girls program to a record of 176-28-2 for a .854 winning percentage. Her Boys team finished as state runner-up in 2010 and has won 26 conference championships in the CCC.  Her Girls team has won the conference championship in the CCC all 18 years she has coached the program. Hoyt was named CHSCA Swimming & Diving Coach of the Year for the Boys in 2002 and Girls in 2021, a finalist for National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the year four times, and Connecticut Interscholastic Coaches Association Coach of the year once for Boys (1997) and twice for Girls (2010, 2012). She was awarded the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association 25 Year Service Award in 2015 and the Positive Coaching Alliance National Double Goal Coach Award in 2017.

  

Richard Kosta is in his 32nd season coaching Indoor Track & Field, 19th season coaching Outdoor Track & Field, and ninth season coaching Boys Cross Country at Fitch High School.  He also coached Track & Field for 12 years at St. Bernard High School. He has a record of 194-56 for a .780 winning percentage in Outdoor Track & Field and record of 49-33 for a .598 winning percentage in Boys Cross Country. He led his program to Class L State Championships five times in Indoor Track & Field, including four straight from 1986-1989, and four times in Outdoor Track & Field, including three straight from 1987-1989. His teams finished state runner-up in Outdoor Track & Field five times and in Indoor Track & Field three times, with a combined 16 league titles between the SAC, ACC, and ECC. Kosta was named a finalist for National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year in Boys Track & Field in 2018, and CHSCA Coach of the Year for Indoor Track & Field in 1990 and Outdoor Track & Field in 2015. He served as CIAC Class L Outdoor Track & Field Director for 10 years, State Open Steeplechase Director for 15 years, CHSCA Indoor Track & Field Chairman for 11 years, and Fitch High School Athletic Director for six years. HE was inducted into the Firth High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

 

Robert Murray is in his 23rd season coaching Boys Track & Field and 17th season coaching Boys Cross Country at Danbury High School, leading one of the most decorated programs in both the state and region. In Cross Country, his team’s record is 292-18 for a .935 winning percentage, with four New England Championships (2000, 2006, 2007, 2008), six State Open and Class LL Championships, and 14 FCIAC championships. In Indoor Boys Track & Field, his program has won 12 State Open and 13 Class LL Championships and 15 FCIAC Championships.  In Outdoor Boys Track & Field, his program has a record of 290-4-1 for a .983 winning percentage, with five State Open and eight Class LL Championships and 17 FCIAC Championships. Murray was named National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year in Boys Cross Country in 2021, a finalist for the award in Boys Outdoor Track & Field in 2013, CHSCA Boys Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2007, and FCIAC Coach of the Year in Boys Indoor Track and Field 13 times and nine times each in Cross Country and Boys Outdoor Track & Field. He was named FCIAC Coach of the Year in all sports for the 2006-07 scholastic year and inducted into the FCIAC Hall of Fame in 2017.

  

Ron Pires coached Boys Basketball for 43 years at E.O. Smith High School, where he led the program to a record of 591-378 for a .608 winning percentage and a two state-runner up finishes in 1993 and 1994. His teams produced 12 league championships in the NCCC and six conference tournament championships.  He was named CHSCA Boys Basketball Coach of the Year in 2015. Pires was inducted into the E.O. Smith Foundation Hall of Fame and the Eastern Connecticut State University Hall of Fame, where he is still a top-10 all-time scorer during his playing days from 1967-71.

 

James Riccitelli enters as a three-sport coach at three different high schools.  However, James entered for his distinguished career in Boys Hockey at Wilbur Cross High School for seven years, New Haven-Shelton Coop for 12 years, North Haven High School for eight years, and Cheshire High School for six years.  He won 280 games, leading North Haven High School to a Division II State Championship in 1980 and Cheshire High School to three state championships (Division III – 2006, Division II – 2009, Division I – 2011). He served as a member of the CIAC Hockey Committee for 30 years and CHSCA Hockey Chairman for 15 years, helping develop co-op opportunities for programs and the three-division format.  He also coached Football and Softball at Wilbur Cross High School for 30 years. Taught physical education in New Haven for 38 years.

 

Patrick Risley is in his 23rd year coaching Wrestling at Windham High School and coached for five years at Plainville High School. He has a record of 525-176-7 for a .742 winning percentage. He led Windham to seven Class S state championships, including four consecutive from 2013-2016.  His teams produced two State Open and six Class S runner-up finishes and 14 league championships in the ECC. He was named National High School Athletic Coaches Association Region 1 Wrestling Coach of the Year in 2019, a finalist for the award in 2006 and 2013, and CHSCA Wrestling Coach of the Year seven times.  He has served as a member of the CIAC Wrestling Committee for 24 years and as Chairman for 21 years. Risley was inducted into the New England Wrestling Hall of Fame

  

Pete Tucci coached Baseball for 18 years and Football for 14 years at Norwalk High School, as well as three seasons as Baseball coach and two seasons as Football coach at Central Catholic High School. He led his Baseball program to a record of 299-142 for a .678 winning percentage.  His program finished Class LL state championship runner-up in 1993 and 1995 and league champions in the FCIAC nine times. He was named CIAC Baseball Coach of the Year in 2016, FCIAC Baseball Coach of the Year in 1993 and 1996, and FCIAC Football Coach of the Year in 1998. He was awarded the FCIAC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 and inducted into the FCIAC Hall of Fame in 2016,

 

The 45th Annual CHSCA Hall of Fame Induction Program will include presentation of Hall of Fame rings to each inductee and the plaques commemorating the careers of each inductee, which will be displayed at Rentschler Field at Pratt and Whitney Stadium in East Hartford - the site of the CHSCA Hall of Fame. 

 

Tickets to the event are $65 and include family-style dinner.  For more information or to purchase tickets go to www.chsca.org. or email for Len Corto more information or group ticketing at chscaevents@outlook.com

 

Founded in 1951, the Connecticut High School Coaches Association supports its member coaches and their student-athletes by offering ongoing educational opportunities, recognizing outstanding coaching achievements and providing general consultation and advice to its members.