John Iovino
(Baseball, 1971)
This 2014 Danbury High Hall of Fame inductee was a three-sport athlete who earned ten high school varsity letters, John Iovino. John was an impact player for the Hatters in football, basketball, and baseball. He also served as co-captain for all three teams. While in high school John received several awards. He was named Outstanding Football Player and received the Kiwanis Club Football Award. He was also the recipient of the Old Timer’s Scholarship as Outstanding Student Athlete in the Danbury area and the Eisenhower Scholarship Award for academic achievement and community service. After his graduation from Danbury High, John continued his academic and athletic career at Central Connecticut State University. While at Central, John earned three varsity letters in football and four varsity letters in baseball. John was also baseball co-captain his senior year. In 1975, John’s senior year at Central, he was named “Who’s Who in College Athletics”, and received the CCSU President’s Citation for scholastic achievement and community service. He was also the recipient of the Frederick Gladstone Award as the outstanding student/athlete at Central. After his graduation from college, John held coaching jobs at Idaho State University, Central Connecticut State and the United States Coast Guard Academy. In 1977, John began his career at Norwich Free Academy. His professional experience at NFA includes teacher, coach, athletic director, dean of students and principal. From 1979-2007, John was the NFA Varsity Baseball coach. Both he and his teams received many honors in that capacity. The NFA baseball team won the Eastern Connecticut Conference championship in 2003 and was voted the number one team in Connecticut and the number 24 team in the country. His teams were honored with the umpires’ sportsmanship award several times, and John was the Connecticut High School Baseball Coach of the Year for 2007-2008. The Norwich Sports Hall of Fame inducted John in 2005. In 2008, John was inducted into the Central Connecticut State University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the following year he received the Dick North Administrator Award from the Southeastern Connecticut Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame. In 2011, The Norwich NAACP honored him with a Community Service Award.