RIP- Joe Morrone

[superjohn]

Guy put UConn soccer on the map and made it a national power. Went to his camp as a kid, learned some things and had a good time. RIP Joe

 

[Fishy]

Built a national program, won a national championship and basically built the entire foundation of the friends of soccer that is still producing huge results.

The craziest, craziest thing is that all three of his kids became soccer All-Americans at UConn.

You just don't get more UConn than Joe Morrone.

 

[8893]

R.I.P. Joe

When I entered UConn in 1984 we were known as a soccer school and he was the reason. He was the first UConn program-building, national coaching legend I knew of.

 

[CallMeBruce]

He was also the assistant lacrosse coach in the late-60s, early-70s, and probably should have been the head coach.

 

[huskyharry]

He was a larger than life figure to those of us who grew up in the Mansfield youth soccer league and the inter-town competitions. He set it up that our town team was selected with boys who were a year younger than those from other towns...in order to make us more capable at the next level.

My sincere condolences to Joe Jr., Billy and Missy.

 

[Matrim55]

He was a champion, and a gentleman. He made our school and state better, and he will be missed.

 

[microfich]

Soccer in the 70's was a must-see. Big Joe's booming voice with clipboard temporarily in hand (until a bad call, bad play or teaching moment sent it to its doom.) Games vs. Hartwick and especially Brown were sooo classic. Recalling banner on Russell C: "What's the color of ?"

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-huskies/hc-jacobs-column-0621-20150620-column.html

 

[Huskybass]

UConn soccer was THE sport when I arrived on campus in 1983. RIP Mr. Morrone.

 

[gtcam]

The man is an icon - plain and simple.
Worked within his camps in late seventies and the man ALWAYS had time for anyone.
He instituted many new concepts into the college game, unfortunately some went the wayside of rule changes. This was a man whose favorite sport wasn't even soccer but when he decided to concentrate on it he became the master coach - sure others won more but nobody scheduled like him and feared nobody. He dared to do things others wished they had.
I loved the man and will miss him greatly.
With all due respect to Coach Reid, when Coach M left the program, the program lost a lot of its luster.
I don't care who gives what kind of monies to build the new facility, if the name Joe Morrone is not on it - it would be a huge injustice.
RIP Coach - don't forget the clipboard!!!!

 

[ct06111]

He was @ the game on Sunday. Pouring rain. Was in the corner in his wheelchair and stayed the whole game and watched the kids win a real good UCSB team. It was great to see the team run to Coach Morrone after the game.

Head to Morrone Stadium this Saturday 9/19/2015 to see UCONN vs Rhode Island @ 7pm.

I believe the new stadium will keep the name: Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.

 

[Conndog]

I went to UConn in 1975 and did I ever go to the soccer games! Some of the games in the fall with the beautiful weather, trees all colorful, temps in 70s and sunny blue skies, and thousands of fans in the stands, the teams would come up, we'd watch the UConn players warm up and then they would just win and win. Being able to drink at age 18, we'd bring a keg into the bleachers/stands and really get hammered, unbelievable that this was allowed. Have to take a pee? Exit the stadium and take aim against the wooden fence at the end opposite the hockey rink. I remember seeing the snow/sleet game in the playoffs against who, was it Columbia, I think UConn lost 4-0 but again a sellout in horrible weather, we watched that from the hockey rink. But I mostly saw them win because that's what they mostly did.

I loved watching Coach Morrone, he would get pretty upset and throw his clipboard and really tear into the officials at times. Got to know some of his players such as Pedro DeBrito, Elvis Comrie, Carlos Carlos- all cool people and man could they play. Elvis was so cool, he had a neat English accent. And Pedro, he had such athleticism, he had bursts of speed where he would charge thunder past the players- we'd play ping pong in Hartford Hall in the jungle a lot, he had a goofy laugh. My older brother who went to UConn told me about the soccer team and how their games were must sees, he was there when Franz Innocenz was playing.

Wish I could go back to those times, life was pretty good when all you had to do was worry about which dorm had a party that night and would you finally ever get laid- ha ha! If not, pizza and beer at Paul's Pizza would cure the blues.

 

[4UConn]

R.I.P. Coach Morrone. What a great legacy you left at and for UConn.

 

[Hugo]

Conndog, I saw Elvis, Pedro and Carlos play Clemson the year they won it all. And I saw Billy score a header from a corner kick to win that game. A family of Clemson fans sat nearby and heaped praise on Pedro saying they doubted he could be stopped then graciously accepted that we were a better team.

I ran into Foley the Goalie once at a local MA watering hole wearing an Indiana t-shirt and he explained he got it at a summer soccer camp at IU where he was a councilor. We had a long discussion about UCONN soccer and he sang the praises of Chris Reif (sp) as the best he had ever played with. Good memories. RIP Joe.

 

[storrsroars]

I went to UConn in 1975 and did I ever go to the soccer games! Some of the games in the fall with the beautiful weather, trees all colorful, temps in 70s and sunny blue skies, and thousands of fans in the stands, the teams would come up, we'd watch the UConn players warm up and then they would just win and win. Being able to drink at age 18, we'd bring a keg into the bleachers/stands and really get hammered, unbelievable that this was allowed. Have to take a pee? Exit the stadium and take aim against the wooden fence at the end opposite the hockey rink. I remember seeing the snow/sleet game in the playoffs against who, was it Columbia, I think UConn lost 4-0 but again a sellout in horrible weather, we watched that from the hockey rink. But I mostly saw them win because that's what they mostly did.
I loved watching Coach Morrone, he would get pretty upset and throw his clipboard and really tear into the officials at times. .

Coach Morrone was the first UConn coach to build sustained excellence. And he certainly had no fear of scheduling anyone. Although we had some decent hoopsters in the mid-70s (Hanson, Welton, Abro, et.al.) it in was a crappy league. I believe there were a number of soccer games that outdrew hoops games. Morrone did that.

Three distinct memories of being at the games: first was that Morrone was a sideline presence you watched almost as often as you watched the play on the field. Second was that you could get kegs delivered to the pitch. Third, was we had the "U-S-A! U-S-A!" chant before the Lake Placid Olympics did - wish I could remember if it was St. Louis or U San Francisco that showed up with an entire roster of foreign players except one American guy who got a huge cheer when rosters were announced, and when we scored, "U-S-A!" erupted. SI even labelled us "America's Team" in an article on college soccer.

IMO, Coach Morrone was the first great coach in UConn history. RIP, Joe.

 

[Waquoit]

By some quirk, I had a senior roommate my first semester. On the opening day of classes he asked when I'd be back for the day. I think it 2:30 or so. He said, "Good, once you get back we'll go to the soccer game." I hated soccer at the time and said so. He said, "You didn't hear me, once you get back we'll go to the soccer game.' Thinking it would not be wise to piss off my senior roommate on the first day of college, I agreed to go . We arrive about 30 minutes early and he points to the area where we are going to meet others. Once we get to the spot in the stands, I'm met by a dude with a sleeve of Red Solo Cups and behind him was keg of beer. Hooray Soccer!

 

[Waquoit]

One lasting Morrone memory I have comes right after they beat Alabama A&M. The entire team was jumping into a victory pile on the field. Out of nowhere come this guy in a trench coat and jumps on the pile just like the players. It was a cool visual. Anyway, that night when Channel 3 showed the game highlight, they showed the pile. Then cut it just before Joe got there. How clueless can you be? I remember discussing this with my mother. She actually got a hold of the guy (Khambrel Marshall) and he told her that she was just to make something out of nothing. Baloney, if makes that cut correctly, it would have become an iconic scene.

 

[Matrim55]

Everybody should read this:

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/65711/joe-morrone-did-it-all.html

Also note that Keith Tabatznik, the head coach at Georgetown, is one of the commenters.