|
Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame “A
Legacy of Leadership” 7th Annual
Induction Banquet Westover GC
New Inductees
*********************************** Bios on this year's Honorees: Hall of Fame:
Fran Murphy, twice honored as Football Coach of the Year, led his high school alma mater, Upper Merion, High to 1971 and 1972 Suburban League championships, and piloted the Pennsylvania Big 33 squad to a 21-19 victory over Archie Griffin-led Ohio in 1973. A 35-year Upper Merion faculty member, Murphy led his varsity gridmen to a 96-51-4 record over 15 seasons (a .653 winning percentage). In 1999, two decades after retiring as Upper Merion head coach, he was named Honorary Coach at the Montgomery County All-Star Football Game. More info to come ...
Libby Williams coached with great success in Montgomery County at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School (Girls’ Athletic Director) and Ursinus College following five undefeated field hockey and five undefeated basketball seasons at Upper Darby High. A member of the U.S. Field Hockey Assn. and the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Ms. Williams also served as the Canadian National Lacrosse team’s head coach. At Plymouth-Whitemarsh she coached basketball and led the filed hockey team (61-14-6) to five championships and guided the lacrosse squad (92-13 in 14 years) to eight titles. More info to come ...
James (Skip) Wilson ranks second only to legendary
Connie Mack in number of lifetime victories managed/coached by a Philadelphia
professional or college baseball pilot. His Temple Owls posted a total of 1,034
wins, twice advanced to the College World Series in Omaha, and went to 14 NCAA
post-season tournaments. Temple’s baseball field, at its Ambler, Montgomery
County campus, was officially named in his honor in April, 2007. A Montgomery
County resident for nearly three decades, Wilson is a multiple Hall of Fame
entrant, including Temple University (1981) and the American Baseball Coaches
Assn. (1987). As a reflection of his mentoring, more than 100 of Wilson’s Temple
players advanced to professional baseball careers. More info to come ...
***********************************
************************************ Community Coaches Honor Roll
Don't miss out, call and order your tickets today CALL 610-279-9220
Banquet Highlight History All banquets held at Westover Country Club in Jeffersonville October 16, 2007 SPECIAL NOTE: One of the Honor Roll Inductees wrote a wonderful letter of thanks to Tony Leadora and the members of the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame Committee. Here it is: Tony and Members of the Committee, First of all, I was shocked at the turnout. I understood that Phil Martelli would be a big draw, but there were more than just Phil fans at this festive affair. I was touched by the piece on Brian Thomas. What a great story that was. I was humbled by the articulate message spoken by Jim Randolph. His love for his wife, his spirituality, and his commitment to young people was evidenced by his passionate delivery. It was apparent to me that I was amongst some of the most respected and accomplished men in the area. I felt that my resume paled in comparison to those I rubbed shoulders with on that special evening. I had once made a comment that I began coaching to please myself, but realized after a few years that I was coaching because of my love for our young people. I understood, even at a young age, that those who I coached were so impressionable. My ultimate desire was to teach them properly and enjoy their individual and collective success. After twenty five years I still get chills when I teach, they listen, and success is achieved. I wish to express through this letter my sincere
appreciation for the accolades that I received that evening. The
committee was awesome and quickly made me feel part of the “new
family of inductees”. Thanks to all who made this a special event
for me and my family. ====================== November 21, 2006 SPECIAL NOTE: A person close to one of the 2006 Honor Roll Inductees (Pat Walsh) wrote a beautiful letter to Times Herald editor Stan Huskey. It was printed on Sunday January 14, 2006 in the editorial section and here is the actual letter to Stan Huskey. Compliments like this only make this Organization stronger and more well-known and that's what we are striving for. I also want to thank Stan Huskey for printing this as he has always been a strong supporter in anything that benefits the local community in this area.
The Times Herald
Attn: Stan Huskey, Editor 410 Markley Street Norristown, PA 19401 Dear Stan: I wanted to pass on my kudos to the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame for the great job they have done in recognizing the outstanding coaches in our community and to The Times Herald for their coverage of this newsworthy event. In 2002 when a group of individuals created the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame I don’t think anybody realized just how many lives this group would touch. Since the group’s formation, they have inducted 20 individuals into the Hall of Fame, 13 individuals into the Hall of Honor and 1 individual was honored with their Lifetime Achievement Award. The number of inductees is small in comparison to the number of people that each of these coaches has impacted and how they have guided the lives of many athletes in the Montgomery County area. This year had special meaning to me in that an individual who had a tremendous impact on my life was honored. Pat Walsh was honored for her pioneering efforts in girl’s sports. I not only learned how to play sports from Pat Walsh, but more importantly, I learned many “life” lessons which have helped throughout my life as a non-athlete. Understanding the importance of being a team player and sacrificing for the good of the team is just one of the valuable lessons I learned from Pat Walsh. When I read the article by Cheryl Rodgers I realized that her article truly defined a great coach as somebody who is not as much concerned about the games and scores as they are about the people they coach. Cheryl’s article was a great piece of journalism in that it took a real story and brought it to life. I commend the work done by the Montco Coaches Hall of Fame as they have given much deserved recognition to some of the greatest coaches and mentors that many of us in Montgomery County have experienced. Again, my congratulations to the group of individuals who formed the Coaches Hall of Fame and to The Times Herald for their coverage of such a newsworthy event. Sincerely, Dolores M. Lare ====================== October 3, 2005 ====================== November 23, 2004 ====================== November 25, 2003 ====================== November 26, 2002 Home
| About Us | Inductees
| PAL Beneficiary | Press
Release | Board of Directors
| Banquet |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Larry Wilson is now in his 31st consecutive school
year as head track & field and cross country coach at Montgomery County’s
Gwynned Mercy Academy. He has produced individual champions (17 Pennsylvania
Division AA titles and 60 District AA crowns), and has led Gwynned Mercy to
District and Bicentennial League championships. His 4 X 800 relay team set a
state standard by winning the Pennsylvania AA meet five successive years.
Wilson’s runners have also captured the 1500 meter event at the Penn Relays.
He’s been an assistant at two l international meets, and was head USA coach at
the 1981 National Sports Festival. More info to come ... 
Popular Norristown native and distinguished member of
baseball’s National Hall of Fame, Tommy Lasorda,
was installed in the Coaches Hall’s initial class in November, 2002 at Westover
Country Club. This year, on Tuesday, November 25 – also in Westover’s banquet
room – Lasorda will return to our county to receive another special salute. From
time to time, but not necessarily annually, the Coaches Hall of Fame presents
its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. In this Olympic year, with his
baseball team’s stunning gold medal victory over Cuba in 2002 still burning as
one of the greatest Olympic triumphs, Tom Lasorda has been selected as the 2008
recipient. Lasorda’s managerial achievements with the Los Angeles Dodgers are
well-known. Four National League titles…two World Series championships…21
consecutive seasons as Dodgers’ manager…seven NL West division titles. In
summary, a distinguished career indeed. But capping his remarkable
achievements that propelled him toward Cooperstown was the exceptional feat
which was frequently recalled and documented during this recent 2008 Summer
Olympic festival. Montgomery County’s Lasorda had already been enshrined in
baseball’s Hall of Fame when he coached the United States Baseball Team to the
2002 Olympics Baseball championship. Culminating the team’s march to the Gold
was the exciting upset over heavily favored Cuba in the finale. Nationally
renowned for his two decades of major league successes, and more recently
internationally celebrated for his Olympics coaching, Lasorda will be officially
recognized with the Montgomery County Coaches Hall of Fame’s Lifetime
Achievement Award on November 25th. 
Anthony Cianciulli,
along with his close friend Al Bertucci, brought Perkiomen Valley Twilight
League baseball back to Norristown after a long layoff. In 1980 they founded the
Norristown A’s. For 28 years from 1980 to 2007 Cianciulli was the owner of the
A’s and saw the franchise become one of the perennial powerhouses in Perkiomen
Valley Twilight League history. During the 28 years the A’s made it to the
final’s an amazing 19 times and won 12 titles. Much of the talent that has
played on the A’s was local, this is a great tribute not only to the Norristown
area but to Cianciulli for giving athletes the chance to play in front of family
and friends. Beyond the Perky League the A’s won two Colonial York Labor Day
tournaments and many other local baseball tournaments. In addition to baseball,
Cianciulli sponsored and helped coach the Tony Rich softball team in Norristown
and Conshohocken. He also served as a Norristown councilman for nearly 10 years
and it was during that time that he oversaw the improvements to old Latshaw
Field in Norristown, adding lights, improving the overall facility and turning
it into the Red McCarthy Complex at Latshaw Field, a facility that is used by
many and leagues from the area. He also oversaw the fundraising for the
improvements, including a cablethon, that kept the burden of finances from
falling on taxpayers.
Albert Bertucci,
Al Bertucci passed away in March of 2004, but he left behind a unbelievable
legacy of winning. Bertucci was founder, owner and general manager of one of the
great softball powerhouses ever to grace Montgomery County – a powerhouse that
made its name throughout the state. From 1965 to 1989 Bertucci owned the Al’s
Cold Cut softball team that won an impressive 13 Norristown Civic League titles,
eight Conshohocken Softball League titles and seven Bridgeport slow pitch
titles. Throughout the years in league and playoffs the team had a remarkable 84
percent winning percentage. In 1984 Al’s Cold Cuts won the Pennsylvania Class A
state championship in Meadville and represented Pennsylvania in the National
tournament in Duluth, Minnesota, where they placed 18th out of the 50 states.
They also won the Class A state championship once again in 1986 at the Drifton
Softball complex. Despite his almost nightly involvement with softball and
baseball, Bertucci found time to serve on Norristown Borough Council from 1980
to 1984 and was a very active member of Plymouth Country Club.
Frank Zoltowski,
a true son of Conshohocken, has served the community on two different levels. In
1965 he signed on as the assistant coach for the Saint Matthews varsity boys CYO
basketball team. Halfway through the year he assumed the head coach role and
held it, along with athletic director duties, for the next 30 years. During that
tenure he won seven division titles and three region titles with the boys, while
often helping coach girls’ teams. Even since his semi-retirement in 1995, he has
stayed active with the CYO program. Zoltowski also managed teams in the
Conshohocken Babe Ruth baseball League, as well as volunteering as a coach and
scorekeeper in the Sutcliff Park summer basketball league. But his
greatest love has been the Fellowship House, where he has been employed for 40
years. Zoltowski never recognized the time clock, spending countless hours
helping with kickball, basketball, volleyball and – his greatest love – the
Albert C. Donofrio high school basketball tournament.