Longtime Danbury Mat Mentor Elected to State Coaches Hall of Fame

DANBURY, CT — A longtime Danbury High School coach is one of 10 individuals who will be honored at the 40th annual Hall of Fame induction dinner of the Connecticut High School Coaches Association, according to an announcement from the CHSCA.

Ricky Shook has been head wrestling coach at Danbury High School for 17 years (2000-2016). He has a career record of 324-19-0 and his teams have won 13 Class LL state championships and 12 State Open championships. He was an assistant at Danbury from 1988-2000 before taking over the head coaching position, and was named Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999.

He has been selected CHSCA Class LL Coach of the Year 10 times, including eight in a row from 2000-2007, and CHSCA Connecticut Coach of the Year in 2000 and 2007. Shook was also named National Wrestling Coaches Association Connecticut Coach of the Year in 2007-08 and was a National High School Coaches Association finalist in 2008-09.

In addition, he has been named FCIAC Coach of the Year four times and FCIAC Winter Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2014. He is a Danbury High Hall of Fame inductee who was a two-time FCIAC wrestling champion and the Class LL state champion as a senior.

He was given the Connecticut Sports Writers' Alliance Doc McInerney Male Coach of the Year award in 2008.

Other honorees are:

• Elaine Biercevicz Piazza - Lyman Memorial, Sacred Heart Academy
• Barbara Hedden - Cheshire, Mercy
• Robert Mastroni - Bunnell
• Howie Hewitt - Maloney
• Rich Langer - Haddam-Killingworth
• Edward Faulkner - Brien McMahon, Bassick
• Martin deLivron - Avon
• Maj. Stephen Reich (dec.) - Shepaug Valley
• Rich Coppola - Fox 61

Tickets for the dinner are $46 and available in advance by contacting the CHSCA office at P.O. Box 632, Southington, CT 06487, or by calling 860-628-4122 or e-mailing John Fontana at jfontana01@snet.net. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Photo credit: CHSCA