Curbstone Coaches HOF Spotlight: Bob LaRicca, Basketball, Coach

The 55^th Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame banquet, sponsored by Briarfield Health Care Centers and Ed and Diane Reese, is set for Sunday, May 5 with 12 new members set for enshrinement during ceremonies at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center in Boardman.

Former NFL official and current national network television rules analyst, Gene Steratore, will serve as guest speaker.

LaRicca was born May 27, 1946, graduating from Niles McKinley High School in 1964.

Curbstone Coaches HOF Spotlight: Tom Manning, Football Honoree(Opens in a new browser tab)

During a stellar Red Dragons scholastic career, he served as captain of the basketball team, was a state qualifier in cross country and a heralded distance runner on their track and field squad.

He earned his BS in education degree from YSU in 1968, his MA from Westminster College (1973) and from 1968-96, taught and coached in the Warren City School System, first at Turner Jr. High then at Western Reserve-Warren G. Harding High Schools.

It is as one of the Mahoning Valley’s most successful high school hardwood coaches that he is honored this year, having posted a 296-103 (.742 winning percentage) overall mark in 399 games played over 17 seasons at the helm of the two combined, storied programs.

He spent the 1969-70 season at Turner  Jr. High, from  1970-75 was the junior varsity head coach and varsity assistant at Warren Western Reserve H.S. then in 1990, became an assistant coach for the Youngstown Pride of the fledgling World Basketball League.

While serving as head coach at Western Reserve and Warren G. Harding High School, he guided his teams to a 46-game regular season win streak, six district titles (1982, 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991 and 1995), three regional finals appearances (1989, 1991 and 1995), one state tournament (1989), 11 league championships and in 1983, the Associated Press and United Press International state wire services unanimous poll championship.

For his efforts in 1982, he was named the Ohio Class AAA “Coach of the Year.”

He was a 12-time Mahoning Valley Coaches Association “Coach of the Year,” is an eight-time Trumbull County Coaches Association “Coach of the Year” honoree, was named Warren Tribune-Chronicle “Coach of the Year” on seven occasions and garnered “Coach of the Decade” of the 1980’s” honors, also from the Warren Tribune-Chronicle.

In 1992, he was selected to serve as a head coach for the Ohio All-Star game and in 1995 was named head coach of the Ohio squad for the Ohio vs. Kentucky All-Star Classic.

A member of Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity while at Youngstown State University, he was inducted into the Niles Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame (1996), the Warren Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and in 2010, earned entrance into the Trumbull County Sports Hall of Fame.

Curbstone Coaches HOF Spotlight: Tim Joyce, Basketball Honoree(Opens in a new browser tab)

He currently provides basketball lessons to boys and girls in grades 2 through 8 with notable players Zayda Creque (Austintown Fitch) and Laura McCoy (Garrettsville) on the girls’ side, and Thomas Cardiero, Gus Johnson, Mike Palmer (Girard), Alex Henry and David Manios (Howland) on the boys side of the ledger still playing and recipients of his instruction.

He and his wife, Addie, resided in Niles.

Doors will open at 4 p.m., dinner is set to be served at 5 p.m. with the program scheduled to commence at 6 p.m.

Individual tickets are $60 each while tables of eight are currently available for $480.

Further information can be obtained by calling 330-506-6774 or by visiting the organization’s website at www.thecurbstonecoaches.org.