Legendary Coach Joe Zavattaro elected into MASCAC Hall of Fame class of 2019
North Adams, MA- The Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) is pleased to announce the 2019 Hall of Fame Class sponsored by GEICO. The MASCAC created the Hall of Fame to provide the recognition of those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the conference and to help preserve the storied history of the MASCAC and its member institutions. Headlining the class is former NASC/MCLA Head Baseball Coach and longtime AD Joe Zavattaro. Zavattaro's class will include some legendary MASCAC names throughout its storied hitstory.
There are five categories for nomination: student-athlete from a men's team, student-athlete from a women's team, overall team, coach and administrator. The 2019 MASCAC Hall of Fame Class is as follows:
Joe Zavattaro, MCLA
Eddie Bynum, Salem State University
Jen Goodwin, Bridgewater State University
1985-86 Salem State Women's Basketball team
John Galaris, Salem State
Zavattaro has become synonymous with the NASC/MCLA Athletics. A pioneer of the College Athletics program, Zav was a player on the first programs offered here at the College and then went on to coach and finally lead the department at Athletic Director.
A lifelong baseball enthusiast, Joe was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates shortly after graduating from Pittsfield High School. His professional career propelled him to the Triple A level. From there he enrolled as a student at the College, starring in both Men's Basketball and Baseball. During the school years, 1957-58 and 1958-59, Joe was the recipient of the Louis Parisien Memorial Award. This award is presented to a student athlete that excels on the playing field and in the classroom.
After graduation, he returned to Pittsfield to coach Pittsfield High School to the Western Massachusetts Baseball Finals in 1963. A year later, he took over the helm at his alma mater. There he would stay for thirty-three years. Coupled with his duties as Athletic Director, Joe also coached Soccer, Basketball, and of course, Baseball.
As the Baseball Coach, Zav has coached countless numbers of All-MASCAC, All-New England, and All-American players. His teams have won 11 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference titles and have been invited to the ECAC and NCAA tournament numerous times. His teams made seven NCAA Tournament appearances, including one regional final. During his tenure, he coached 23 student-athletes to All-New England honors, four All-Americans, and saw eight sign professional contracts. Zav's final season at NASC was capped with the MASCAC title and an invitation to the NCAA tournament. A fitting end to a career at his alma mater that ended with 493 wins.
He also served on the NCAA Baseball Committee, including a stint as the National Chair. For all his contributions to the game, Zav was inducted into the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA) Hall of Fame's Inaugural Class in 2017.
While his success on the field was evident, his impact on the department was just as successful. Under his leadership, the department enjoyed widespread success including NCAA appearances in numerous programs. In 1986, the department won their only Smith Cup, a year long points race for the top athletics department in the conference. Zavattaro was influential in facility upgrades, hiring of full time staff, and bringing attention to North Adams on a national level through various committees.
For more information on all the inductees, please log on to www.mascac.com