Decorated Darien Girls Volleyball Coach Steps Down

DARIEN, CT — One of the most successful coaches in Connecticut sports history is stepping down from her post.

Laurie LaRusso, the longtime Darien High School Blue Wave girls volleyball coach, has stepped down after an illustrious career that spans over four decades.

She’ll continue to coach the Blue Wave boys team.

"I’m very lucky and blessed to have had this opportunity to work with such amazing people," LaRusso told Patch Friday via email. "I only hope I have positively impacted them as they have me. It’s truly been an honor. Thank you to my BWVB family for everything!"

DHS Athletic Director Chris Manfredonia called LaRusso "an iconic, Hall of Fame coach who always puts kids first."

"While her record is certainly impressive, what really sets Laurie apart and makes her the special person she is how well she connects with her student athletes," Manfredonia added in an email to Patch. "I feel blessed that I had the opportunity to get to work with her for as long as I did."

LaRusso started the girls volleyball program at DHS in 1982, and has won 19 state titles and 25 FCIAC crowns. At one point, the team had a streak of 140 straight wins - the eighth longest nationally - and another of 121 straight victories.

She founded the boys program at DHS in 2006 and has won six state titles, including the last three.

LaRusso's teams have posted more than 1,000 wins, and she has been inducted into the Connecticut Volleyball Hall of Fame and Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Last April, LaRusso was selected to receive one of Connecticut's oldest and most prestigious sports honors, the Gold Key Award from the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance.

— This story contains previous reporting from Patch editor Tim Jensen