John Pinone, the renowned Cromwell High School boys basketball coach, resigned from his position after 24 years. His tenure included over 400 wins and three state championships. He submitted his resignation letter on March 11th, six days after his team's loss in the state tournament second round. The reason for his departure remains undisclosed, as he did not provide a reason in his letter and has not responded to requests for comment. The school's athletic director and superintendent also did not respond to inquiries.
Cromwell's basketball team, under Pinone's guidance, achieved significant success, winning the Division IV state title in 2023, the Div. V championship in 2018, and the Class S title in 2009. Pinone's impressive background includes a stellar high school career at South Catholic High, college success at Villanova, and a brief stint in the NBA. He also coached at East Granby High before joining Cromwell.
Pinone's influence extends beyond his coaching record. He mentored numerous successful high school coaches, including Bob Freitas (Ellington's Division IV state champion coach) and Brady Sheffield (Old Lyme's Division V state title contender).
John Pinone, who coached the Cromwell High boys basketball team for 24 years and has over 400 victories and three state titles, has resigned from his coaching position.
Pinone wrote a letter of resignation to the school on March 11, six days after his seventh-seeded team lost to the eventual Division IV runner-up Sheehan, 57-56, in the second round of the state tournament.
He did not give a reason for leaving in the letter.
Pinone did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Cromwell athletic director Josh LaMay. Enza Macri, the Cromwell superintendent of schools, also did not respond to emails or calls.
Cromwell, which went 16-8 this past season, last won a state title in Division IV in 2023, a 53-46 win over Ellington. The Panthers also won the Div. V championship in 2018, 58-40, over Wamogo and the Class S title in 2009, 40-34 over Hyde.
Pinone was a high school star at now-defunct South Catholic High in Hartford, winning two state titles in Class L in 1977 and 1979, and the 6-foot-8 forward went on to star at Villanova, where he was a third-team All-American and scored over 2,000 points. He was a third-round draft pick of the Atlanta Hawks and played seven games for the NBA team. He also played in the Continental Basketball Association and overseas for 10 years before retiring from playing. Prior to Cromwell, he was the boys coach and athletic director at East Granby High.
Over the years, he mentored many successful high school coaches, including Bob Freitas, a former Cromwell assistant whose Ellington team won the Division IV state title this year and another former Cromwell assistant Brady Sheffield, whose Old Lyme team won the Division V title last season and finished as the runner-up this season and knocked Cromwell out of the Shoreline Conference tournament in the semifinals this year, 48-39, en route to winning the conference title.
Originally Published: April 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM EDT
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