EPHS Court to be Named After Carvalho, Longtime PE Teacher

On Sept. 19, East Providence High School (EPHS) will officially name its court after legendary volleyball coach and long-time physical education teacher Luis Carvalho. A presentation will be made in the gymnasium at 6 pm, prior to the girls’ volleyball match against Ponaganset.

Also during the presentation, the gymnasium will be named in honor of former mayor, administrator and New England wrestling champion Dr. Isadore Ramos.

Carvalho is one of the most successful volleyball coaches in state history. A 2007 inductee of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League (RIIL) Hall of Fame, Carvalho coached the EPHS girls’ volleyball team from 1982-2006, winning seven Division I state championships. As the boys’ volleyball coach from 1989-2001, he won two state titles.

The charismatic coach was named Coach of the Year by the Rhode Island Coaches’ Association 11 times in his high school coaching career.

In 2006, Carvalho retired as a physical education teacher from EPHS, after 34 years of service. His coaching career, however, wasn’t quite over.

Carvalho brought his vast coaching experience to Rhode Island College in 2007, where he coached the women’s volleyball team for four seasons. He was named the 2009 Little East Conference Coach of the Year.

In 2011 and 2012, Carvalho served as an assistant coach on the Bryant University women’s volleyball coaching staff. One of Carvalho’s three daughters, Jennifer Carvalho-Bailey, is in the Bryant Athletics Hall of Fame for her volleyball accomplishments.

Carvalho’s athletic achievements were just as impressive when he was in college, but not in volleyball. A 1974 graduate of the University of Rhode Island, Carvalho was a three-time All-Yankee Conference selection in soccer. He was the team’s top scorer all three years. He led the Rams to two league titles and a 1972 NCAA Tournament berth. In 1999, he was inducted into the URI Athletics Hall of Fame.

Prior to coaching boys’ volleyball, Carvalho won back-to-back Rhode Island Division I championships as the head girls’ soccer coach at Barrington High School in 1985 and 1986.

Carvalho’s coaching legacy continues to grow following his retirement, as several of his former volleyball players have achieved coaching success of their own. Alex Butler and Keith Martinous currently coach the EPHS girls’ and boys’ volleyball teams respectively.