Legendary Morgan School Coach Elected To CHSCA Hall Of Fame

CONNECTICUT — The Connecticut High School Coaches Association has announced the 2023 CHSCA Hall of Fame inductees, and the honorees include a legendary state championship coach from the Morgan School for more than three decades.

Joe Grippo coached the Huskies girls basketball team for 34 years and girls volleyball for 33, winning a dozen Class S titles in volleyball and two more in basketball. Other honorees are longtime coaches George Babcock, Suzanne Hoyt, Richard Kosta, Robert Murray, Ron Pires, James Riccitelli, Patrick Risley and Pete Tucci, as well as veteran New London Day sportswriter Vickie Fulkerson.

He and his fellow electees will be honored at the 45th annual induction ceremony and dinner May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington.

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

Grippo's volleyball coaching record includes seven straight state titles from 1992 to 1998. His teams went 620-104 for an .860 winning percentage, and 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 and SCA Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2006. He was inducted into the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame.

During his tenure, the girls basketball program won Class M championships in 1996 and 2000, and finished as state runner-up three times. He was elected to the Clinton Athletic Hall of Fame, and was awarded the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance Gold Key in 2021 and a CIAC Girls Basketball Merit Award.

Tickets to the induction ceremony are $75 and include a family-style dinner. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to www.chsca.org. or email Len Corto for more information or group ticketing at chscaevents@outlook.com.