By JOE PALLADINO
WATERBURY — Phil Lott, the former Wilby High boys basketball star who was the all-time leading NVL scorer for two decades, has resigned as the Crosby High girls head coach.
Lott, who was in his eighth season as a Bulldogs head coach, stepped down on Monday, as did his assistant, Sara Paradis. Crosby boys soccer coach Mike Sullivan will take over the program as interim head coach immediately, assisted by Paul Gwiazdoski.
Lott said that he ended his run as head coach for one reason: family. His oldest son, Zion, is a sophomore and plays basketball at Waterbury Career Academy, and his youngest son, Zaire, is a seventh grader at Wallace Middle School, and he also plays basketball. Lott tried to coach one team and spectate for other teams.
“It was torture, knowing my boys were playing and I was coaching.”
During the city girls basketball jamboree last month at Kennedy High, Lott coached Crosby for one quarter, jumped in his car and drove to Crosby to watch Zaire play, then drove back to Kennedy for more jamboree coaching. One day last week Lott said he watched Zaire play one quarter of middle school basketball, Zion play one quarter of junior varsity basketball, and then he coached the Crosby girls varsity.
“That is what has been the hardest,” he said.
Lott, a Wilby graduate in 1988, is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,212 points. He played Division I basketball at the University of Hawaii. His number 32 is permanently retired.
“I am definitely sorry to see both of them go,” said Crosby athletic director Dave Ieronimo of Lott and Paradis. “I appreciate all they have done for the program. We have made tremendous strides under Phil. What they have done for these girls goes beyond the basketball court. He took an interest in their personal lives. He worked with a lot of girls behind the scenes to make sure they were able to get on that court.”
Lott said the way he coached was patterned after the coach who also influenced him the most, the late Wilby High coach Reggie O’Brien.
“The girls we had over the years, all came from different backgrounds,” Lott said. “But they came together and it was like a family. I looked out for them and did anything I could for them. That’s what Reggie did for me. Reggie really helped me in so many ways, and he showed me the way, in basketball and in life. That was important. Someone did it for me, so I wanted to do it for someone else.”
Although Lott steps aside now, he hopes to coach again, and in the city.
“I want to coach boys someday, but I don’t want to leave the city,” he said. “I have had offers, but I do not want to be anyplace else.”
Ieronimo thanked Lott for close to eight seasons with the girls, and also Sullivan and Gwiazdoski for taking over.
“It still has to be board (of education) approved,” Ieronimo said, “but they stepped up when I need someone, big time. The program will be in good hands.”
Sullivan is Crosby’s head soccer coach, and Gwiazdoski was a former golf head coach.