Connecticut’s winningest high school basketball coach is sharing what he’s learned and reflecting on an incredible career in a new book, written by former sportswriter Chris Ellsberry.
Vito Montelli signed copies of ‘God, Family & Basketball’ on Saturday at St. Joseph High School.
The idea for the book came together about three years ago and Ellsberry worked with Montelli to cover his 50-year coaching career.
“Coach Montelli has always wanted to write a book about his life, especially the life lessons he taught to all of his players,” said Ellsberry. “I went through scrapbook after scrapbook after scrapbook of things that he had saved over the years and I won’t say it wrote itself but it was pretty close.”
“It’s everything that I’ve felt inside of me,” added Montelli. “St. Joseph means a great deal to me. I had a lot of other experiences but this was my life and I feel that close to it right now.”
Montelli won 11 state championships at St. Joseph and holds the Collegiate Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) record with 878 victories.
“He made sure these kids and a lot of them from single-family homes that came here always had the best,” said Ellsberry. “He was like a father, a friend, mentor, whatever he needed to be, that’s what he was.”
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‘God, Family & Basketball’ is available here.
