Joe Grippo is an outstanding basketball coach. His teams have played in four state championships winning two and have also won six Shoreline Championships. He has also been recognized with awards for his accomplishments.
However, it is in volleyball that Joe has really made his mark. He started coaching volleyball at Morgan High School in 1983 and will finish his 30th volleyball season this year. His teams have won 23 Shoreline Championships, including 21 in a row from 1992 to 2012.
For 29 out of his 30 seasons, his team qualified for the state tournament. They played in 18 State Championship games. They won eleven State Championships including seven in a row from 1992 to 1998, and were runner-ups seven times. Prior to this year, his career record is 553 wins and 93 losses. Joe has been recognized many times for his success. In 1997, he was awarded the Doc McInerney Coach of the Year award and was named the New Haven Area Coach of the Year. In 1996, he was named the Connecticut High School Coaches
Association’s Coach of the Year. He was also a National Coach of the Year Finalist three times, in 1999, 2001, and 2005.