CHSCA names Goodwin as coach of the year in wrestling

Simsbury High wrestling coach Ernie Goodwin and the Trojans celebrate an individual win against Farmington in February 2013.

Former Simsbury High wrestling coach Ernie Goodwin is one of 26 coaches who will be recognized by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) at its 51st annual recognition dinner on May 14 at the Aqua Turf in Southington at 7 p.m.

The CHSCA will recognize outstanding coaches of the year in 26 sports, its Athletic Director of the Year and present three special awards to John Holt and Joe Zone of WFSB-3 in Hartford (Joseph F. Fontana Distinguished Service Award), North Branford’s Babby Nuhn (Thomas J. Monahan CHSCA Honor Award) and MaxPreps (Joseph Calvanese Sponsorship Award).

Tickets are $46 each and may be obtained by calling John Fontana at 860-628-4122.

Goodwin coached wrestling for 16 years before stepping away from the sport to become the athletic director at Amity Regional in Woodbridge last fall. Being an athletic director has been one of Goodwin’s goals in his career. He received a master’s degree in athletic administration from Springfield College.

He spent eight years at Glastonbury High from 1998 to 2005 before taking over the Simsbury program in 2007 and coaching through the 2014 season.

With Simsbury, Goodwin led the Trojans to eight straight winning seasons and three top five finishes in the Class LL tournament. Simsbury was fourth in Class LL the past two seasons. In 2014, Simsbury (15-3, 6-0 CCC West) won its first CCC West championship since 2001. 

In Goodwin’s final two years in Simsbury, the team finished in the state’s top 10. They were ranked fifth at the end of the 2013 campaign and seventh in 2014. 

Goodwin’s 2013 team won its first 22 matches of the season before losing to Farmington, 24-23, in an epic end-of-the-season match for the league championship before several hundred fans in Simsbury. The 2013 team finished 22-1, one win shy of the team’s single-season record for wins set in 1995. 

At Glastonbury, Goodwin’s teams won three straight CCC West titles from 2002 to 2004. His Tomahawks finished second in Class LL in 2003 and 2004. The 2004 Glastonbury squad finished fourth at the State Open. He had a career record of 261-134. 

Other coaches who will be honored at the CHSCA recognition dinner include:

Richard Magner, Xavier, baseball; Ronald Pires, E.O. Smith, boys basketball; Tom Butterfield, William Hall, boys cross country; Joseph LaPorta, Shelton, boys golf; Brian White, Guilford, boys lacrosse; Rob Jachym, Wethersfield, boys soccer; Ryan Healey, East Catholic, boys tennis; Richard Kosta, Fitch, boys track, Jacqueline Giordano, Masuk, cheerleading; Susan Leckey, Daniel Hand, field hockey.

John Acquavita, Wilbur Cross, football; Vincent Cianfarani III, Tolland/Windsor, girls basketball; Kevin Connell, Branford, girls cross country; Marie Shimchick, Greenwich, girls golf; Kristen Cofiell, Glastonbury, girls lacrosse; Rob Brule, Waterford, girls soccer; Scott Butler, Branford, girls swimming; Joanne Kelly, Shepaug Valley, girls tennis; Arleigh Duff, Nonnewaug, girls track; Christina Holt, South Windsor, girls volleyball.

Kelly Smith, Daniel Hand, gymnastics; Timothy Belcher, Notre Dame-West Haven, ice hockey; Rebecca Howard, Windham, indoor track; Johanne Presser, Suffield, softball; and Pat Daniels, Jonathan Law, unified sports.

The banquet recognizes coaches for their work done during the 2013-14 season.