Tuesday, May 9th 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Trumbull Marriott, 180 Hawley Lane Trumbull
The 18th Annual Celebrity Breakfast will welcome a panel of outstanding basketball coaches that not only enjoyed a career as professional or collegiate athletes but also as notable leaders.
Coaches include:
Jennifer Rizzotti, a Connecticut native and the current President of the Connecticut Sun in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She joined the Sun after five seasons as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at George Washington University and 11 seasons as Head Coach of the University of Hartford Women’s Basketball program, where she compiled a 316-216 (.594) record and was named America East Coach of the Year three times. Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, Rizzotti is well-known in basketball circles around the world, most notably as an assistant coach to the USA Basketball Women’s National Team, with whom she won a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 1996, Rizzotti helped lead the University of Connecticut Women’s Basketball team to its first national championship; virtually sweeping the postseason awards as Big East Player of the Year, Big East Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Associated Press Player of the Year, the Honda-Broderick Cup for Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year, the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award recipient, and the Wade Trophy winner. Rizzotti and her husband, Bill Sullivan, have two sons, Holden and Conor.
Tricia Fabbri, The all-time winningest coach in Quinnipiac women’s basketball history. Fabbri, wrapped up her 28th season on the Bobcats’ sideline in 2022-23 and has accumulated over 500 victories in her career. At the end of the 2018-19 season, Fabbri had guided her team to eight straight 20-win seasons including four undefeated conference slates in seven years. The team won its fifth conference title in a seven-year span with the 2018-19 MAAC tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed before falling to sixth-seeded South Dakota State at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. As a player, Fabbri was named to the MAAC 25th Anniversary Team in 2020 and was inducted into the Fairfield University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998, as well as the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
James Jones, Longest tenured head coach in the Ivy League. In his 24th year at the helm for Yale in 2022-23. Winningest men’s basketball coach in school history. Second winningest coach in Ivy League history. His 201 Ivy wins are the second most in league history.  He has guided the Bulldogs to six Ivy League championships – 2002, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2023 – four NCAA Tournament berths – 2016, 2019, 2020, 2022 – and seven postseason appearances. Jones is a four-time Ivy League Coach of the Year (2015, 2016, 2020, 2023) and also has been named the NABC District 13 Coach of the Year three times.
JR Fredette. JR Fredette concluded his 11th season as head women’s basketball coach in 2022-23 at ; Albertus Magnus College. In his 11th year at the helm, Fredette and his Falcons recorded an impressive year finishing 2022-23 with an overall mark of 21-3 and a conference mark of 16-2, earning the top-seed in the South Division in the GNAC Tournament. The season was highlighted by a seven and 12-game winning streaks, Coach Fredette’s 150th career win, and a pair of victories over GNAC powerhouses Emmanuel (Mass.) College and Saint Joseph’s College of Maine, and the Falcons making their 21st postseason appearance in the GNAC Tournament.
Emcee, Noah Finz
Former host of CT News Now on Vantage Sports Sports Network
National Anthem performed by Brandon Sherrod
Stratford High School Alum, Former Yale Basketball Player & Whiffenpoof Member
Sterling Spirit Award
Each year, Sterling House honors a person who embodies the spirit of altruism that Sterling House was founded. We are grateful to award posthumously, Mary Santos Semedo.
Mary (Santos) Semedo, age 103, was born on September 16, 1918, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She passed away on Tuesday, August 30, 2022, in Stratford, Connecticut; two weeks shy of her 104th birthday.  Mary was one the most devoted fans of the UCONN Women’s Basketball team. As a season ticket holder, she has been among their oldest fans attending games and season tournaments regularly with her daughter, Mary Lou. She was interviewed by the Connecticut Post. Honored by UConn for her devotation.
All of this, and you will be making an impact on your community! Proceeds go to SHCC’s Resource Connection services and the equitable programming of athletics and youth development!
Pricing
$75 per seat
$750 per table
Hoops for Hunger Food Drive
In recognition of World Hunger Day, please support the Sterling House Pantry with a non-perishable food item and receive a commemorative basketball favor.
