Best High School BB Coach Ever in the State of Connecticut

[Letsgohuskies11]

Mike Walsh- Trinity Catholic, probably only cause I've watched his team over the years without really paying attention to the state as a whole.

 

[Fairfield_1st]

His son is at RHAM now. John is Definitely a contender for best coach. Potentially the thing against him would be the tiny conference. He's always had the best talent in that conference which makes boosting his record easier

John isn't even the best coach in Cromwell history. Jake Salafia is. 24 consecutive tournament appearances in his 25 year career, including 11 finals appearances and 7 titles.

 

[UC1995]

Didn't specify men's so I am going to put a shout out to Fred Williams at Northwestern Regional #7.

At the conclusion of the 2016-17 season, Fred was 594-289 with 10 Berkshire League championships, the 1990 Class M state championship (capping a 26-0 season), a 49-game winning streak from 1989-91 and a Berkshire League winning streak of a remarkable 142 games from 1986-93. Fred has coached in the state tournament 32 times. He was named Region One Coach of the Year three years and therefore a finalist for National Coach of the Year each of those years. Fred was inducted into the Connecticut High School Coaches' Association Hall of Fame in 2013. He is coaching at his alma mater, having graduated from Northwestern in 1969, and has had the distinction of coaching all three of his daughters, all on the same team.

 

[the Q]

Realistically, it's probably some coach from a tiny school we don't think of as a powerhouse. You don't get to choose your talent at the vast majority of high schools. A coach who maximizes their talent at a tiny school might still only go 12-12, even if they are a brilliant coach.

This is entirely possible.

I played a guy like that, I’d put him against almost anyone considering the talent coming through the small town.

Who it is not is any of these private schools recruiting from all over and then playing S or M schools when their actual enrollment is from legit mega city sizes (when you consider all the municipalities represented on their team).

Ken Smith

Kenny Smith from Windsor is an excellent coach

Kenny smith a hell of a coach. Definitely a worthy contender

 

[Mr. French]

I know this isn’t about NY, but felt it worthwhile to mention the High School I attended has (had?) the winningest coach in NY State history. Unfortunate that he retired before I got to play there. His name is Ed Petrie btw, I wonder if anyone here has heard of him.

This is from a few years ago, it looks like he might still hold the public school record but not overall - of course, NYS likes to separate the public and private schools as though it's 2 totally different sports, a whole 'nother convo for me.

New York boys basketball career coaching wins

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

My dad always used to talk about Joe Reilly. I went to Luke Reilly camp as a kid

 

[BGesus4]

This is entirely possible.

I played a guy like that, I’d put him against almost anyone considering the talent coming through the small town.

Who it is not is any of these private schools recruiting from all over and then playing S or M schools when their actual enrollment is from legit mega city sizes (when you consider all the municipalities represented on their team).




Kenny smith a hell of a coach. Definitely a worthy contender

His son is a hell of a coach himself

 

[Slick]

Vito Montelli
Carl Charles
Charles Bentley
Bob Saulsbury
(No order)

Jim Kish ,Sam Bender I believe had the number one teams in the United States

 

[JT55]

I would vote for Vito Montelli, alittle biased as I played for him in 2006, but he coached 50 years, a state-record 878 victories and a state-record 11 state championships.

 

[Adesmar123]

Who do you like?

Anyone heard of Bill Brasky? He was undefeated in 8,368 games. He coached his last game at his own funeral. They tried to cremate him but his body wouldn't burn.

All of his players played professionally and could dunk. He once taught a 5'0 player with no knees to dunk. The strangest part is that he coached at a high school with only 4 students. He could make his own basketballs out of used tin cans.

They don't make them like that anymore.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

The best coaches I ever saw were Frank Cristafi East Haven HS
Red Vederame The guy who built the Wilbur Cross Dynasty
Frank could take a bunch of kids off the Streets and make them winners
O

 

[Oldtimer]

Joe Kubachka, Longtime Hartford Public Basketball Coach who won New England titles 61 and 62

Lou Bazzano Bulkeley High



I had the fortune to watch the city series at Trinity Field House when I was in 8th grade. The third best team in New England was Weaver High who couldn’t go to New England Tournament.



Each team had a star, Eddie Griffin HPHS, Gene Reilly Bulkeley High and Johnny Lee Weaver

New England Championship 1962 (at Boston Garden)

QF

Spaulding, Barre, VT 63 Concord, NH 59

Hartford Public, CT 78 Pittsfield, Mass 65

East Providence, RI 55 Morse, Bath, Maine 53

Bulkeley, Hartford, CT 53 Rindge Tech, Cambridge, Mass 31

SF

Hartford Public, CT 92 Spaulding, Barre, VT 58

Bulkeley, Hartford, CT 57 East Providence, RI 40

Final

Hartford Public, CT 47 Bulkeley, Hartford, CT 39

 

[ChocRaisins]

Vito Montelli- SJ (Trumbull). I played for him a couple years. Hall of famer.

 

[Jbirdp5]

I’d give it to Bentley over Vito. Even though Bridgeport kids can move around to pick a school easier than most towns he still didn’t select his roster like Vito at st joes. His resume is a little better anyway

 

[HCCForever]

The old HCC had three very good coaches. Stan Ogrodinik, Joe Reilly and Charlie Larson.

I went to South Catholic when Joe Reilly was there. He ended up winning over 500 games and 5 titles. His brother Gene did even better with 547 wins mostly at Portland High after assisting Joe at South. The HCC had great games with teams like East Catholic, South Catholic, Northwest Catholic, St. Thomas Aquinas, Xavier, St. Bernards and St Pauls. I remember games with Joey Whelton going against Randy Lavigne and others at South. High school is where I learned to love basketball. John Pinone was a bit younger but played for Joe along with Steve Ayers.

Gene Reilly was my gym teacher after he came home from Viet Nam. If you were late to the gym from the locker room, you could expect a football or basketball thrown at you depending on the season. One poor sap forget his sneakers and had to hang from the pull up bar for the period. Good times, he certainly couldn't get away with that nowadays but I don't think Lempa ever forgot his sneakers again.

 

[WrenchFan69]

Essentially the entire Reilly family
Craig Parker from New London

 

[uconngb]

John isn't even the best coach in Cromwell history. Jake Salafia is. 24 consecutive tournament appearances in his 25 year career, including 11 finals appearances and 7 titles.

If you don’t know, Jake is by far the best coach in CT basketball history. In 1972 he put 4 out of 5 of his players on the 1st team All State team. And they ALL played D1 basketball. Oh by the way......this was a school that had less than 400 kids.

And just in case anyone wants to poo poo whether these were BS Division 1 schools, they were Army (under Bob Knight), UConn, and Providence.

by far unprecedented in the history of CT high school hoops

 

[Horatio]

Wilbur Cross beat Patrick Ewing under Bob Saulsbury. Think about that. *Edit_- and Karl Hobbs!!!

NEW HAVEN 200: The day Wilbur Cross beat Patrick Ewing

Ewing's final three high school seasons included three successive Massachusetts state...

www.nhregister.com

 

[superjohn]

Wilbur Cross beat Patrick Ewing under Bob Saulsbury. Think about that. *Edit_- and Karl Hobbs!!!

NEW HAVEN 200: The day Wilbur Cross beat Patrick Ewing

Ewing's final three high school seasons included three successive Massachusetts state...

www.nhregister.com

Yep, this seems like an easy one. Bob Saulsbury is the best high school coach ever in the state. He beat anyone who would play them. Beat the Jarvis, Ewing, Hobbs team that never lost and in the year Wilbur Cross was the best team in the country Super John whooped John Thompson's team so badly John Thompson quit the game and walked off with his team.

 

[Improviser]

If you don’t know, Jake is by far the best coach in CT basketball history. In 1972 he put 4 out of 5 of his players on the 1st team All State team. And they ALL played D1 basketball. Oh by the way......this was a school that had less than 400 kids.

And just in case anyone wants to poo poo whether these were BS Division 1 schools, they were Army (under Bob Knight), UConn, and Providence.

by far unprecedented in the history of CT high school hoops

I do remember that Al Weston played for Cromwell High and then UConn and had a nice UConn career.

 

[UConnMike04]

There might’ve been better historically, but the best I’ve seen was Mike Walsh at Trinity. 39 year career then retired.

Since taking over as head varsity basketball coach in 1979, Trinity teams under Walsh have won seven CIAC state championships and six FCIAC titles as the Crusaders reached the state final 13 times and the FCIAC championship game 11 times, beginning with Walsh’s first FCIAC title in 1993.

During his first year in retirement the school called and asked him if he can fill in for the year to coach the girl’s team since their coach left early season. What did he do? Lead them to the state title.

 

[superjohn]

Watched a movie the other night where Ben Affleck plays a high school basketball coach. I was bored and watched thinking it would be terrible but it was actually quite good. The Way Back.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Watched a movie the other night where Ben Affleck plays a high school basketball coach. I was bored and watched thinking it would be terrible but it was actually quite good. The Way Back.

Like it better in the early 80's when it was called The White Shadow.

 

[uconnfan68]

Bender retired in 1965, and had coached as head coach at Hillhouse from 1940-1965. After that, for one year, he coached a semi-pro team known as the New Haven Elms, but his record for that year was 8-20. I went to a few games, and one of their best players was Wayne Lawrence from the New London area. They played at the old New Haven Arena, the same place where the New Haven Blades hockey team played.

Sal ("Red") Verderame coached at Wilbur Cross from 1953-66, and was the predecessor of Bob Saulsbury.

I too am dating myself as I remember that era very well.

Use to watch the Hillhouse-Cross games on Saturday morning from Payne-Whitney on ch8. Era of Doug Wardlaw, Walt Esdaile, etc.

 

[uconnfan68]

John isn't even the best coach in Cromwell history. Jake Salafia is. 24 consecutive tournament appearances in his 25 year career, including 11 finals appearances and 7 titles.

Yeah, Donny Lewis and Al Weston were too much for Class S.