Greenwich Time, Kevin Duffy
Connecticut H.S. Hoops All-Time Wins Leader Retires
March 23, 2011 /
The all-time winningest coach in Connecticut high school girls basketball history has decided to call it quits.
Dave Strong, the coach at Masuk High School, retired on Tuesday, ending a head coaching career that spanned 35 years and included a 704-156 overall record, 25 state quarterfinal appearances, seven undefeated regular seasons and an induction into the National High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame.“I’ve had health issues which I’ve ignored for several years,” the 66-year-old Strong said. “I want to be around to see my grandchildren.”
Strong retires after a “very, very enjoyable year” in which Masuk reached the Class L quarterfinals and surprised several SWC teams with a 16-8 overall record.
“It makes it both easy and hard to retire (at this point),” Strong said. “You want to leave on a good note, but you don’t want to leave such a great group like I had this year.”
Strong, the National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2002, concludes his remarkable tenure with three state titles — 1990, 1991 and 1995 — and 19 league championships.
He also posted a 93-game regular-season winning streak from 1993-1997 and a 50-game streak (both regular-season and postseason) from 1994-1996. In addition to his national awards, Strong is also a member of Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. The Masuk gymnasium was renamed “David Strong Gymnasium” in 2005.
All accolades and records aside, though, Strong’s impact on his players and students (he was a math teacher at Masuk until 2004) was “beyond immeasurable,” according to Masuk athletic director John DeGennaro.
“The championships were all very memorable,” Strong said. “But another thing that really sticks out is having former players come up to you and tell you how much the experience of playing basketball has meant to them. And some of these people are 50 years old — and they still value that experience.”
Since he took over as head coach, Strong has sent 55 players to the college ranks, including Fairfield’s all-time leading scorer Gail Strumpf and former Boston College All-American Ann Odoy.
Odoy has served as an assistant at Masuk for the past 13 years and is Strong’s choice to succeed him as the next Panthers head coach.
“I hope to see her take over the program,” Strong said.
Under Strong’s instruction, Masuk has qualified for the state tournament every single season since it started in 1974. The Panthers are the only team in Connecticut with that achievement.
