Arthur Haddad
(Baseball, 1968)
Art Haddad, over the years the name has become synonymous with Danbury youth athletics and baseball in particular. Countless players today have been instructed and guided by Artie and that has been going on for nearly forty years. Besides what he has given the youth of Danbury over that span Art was an outstanding player in his own right. As a two year starter on the DHS baseball team Artie was named to the News-Times All Area team in 1968. He was also captain of that 1968 team. It was a collegiate player that Artie's playing career really took off. He attended Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, MD where he received a BS in education. At "the Mount" Artie was a four year starter, two year captain and was named team MVP in both 1971 and 1972. He also made the All Mason-Dixon Conference team those two years. In 1970 he was selected to the "Outstanding College Athletes of America" team for Mount Saint Mary's. For his accomplishments Art Haddad was selected to the Mount Saint Mary's Hall of Fame in 1991. Since 1973 Art has been a teacher at Abbott Tech High School in Danbury and has remained there until his retirement last Spring. Upon his return to the Hat City Artie has been involved in coaching numerous sports but it was as a baseball coach where Art's presence has been most keenly felt. For fourteen years (1973-1987) he was the varsity baseball coach at Abbott Tech and turned a hapless program into one that made the CIAC baseball tournament in nine of fourteen seasons and he compiled a 148-132 record. In 1993 Artie went to Immaculate as an assistant to Tom Neville and helped guide the Mustangs to three state championships, five state finals and nine semi-finals in the CIAC tournament. In 2003 he was named "Assistant Coach of the Year" by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association. Besides coaching at the high school level Art spent many summers coaching summer league baseball and coached numerous travel teams. Additionally he has volunteered his services at youth baseball clinics and as a basketball referee.