PHOTO GALLERYThe first coach to take the University of New Haven softball team to the NCAA tournament, Joe Musante coached the Chargers from 1993 to 1998. In 1993 Musante was named the fifth head coach in New Haven history, after serving as an assistant at UNH for one season. In ’92 he helped coach five All-Conference players while the Chargers posted a 30-8 record. The coach built upon this foundation when he was named head coach in 1993.
In his first season as head coach, Musante molded a lineup which included a rotation of four freshmen, three sophomores and very little collegiate pitching experience into a winning combination. The team posted a 20-15 overall record and an 8-6 record in conference play.
One year later the Chargers featured another young lineup, but persevered with Musante’s first 30-win season. He guided the team to a 30-12 record and a top 20 ranking. In ’94 the Chargers also came within one game of reaching the NCAA playoffs for the first time in school history.
In 1995, Musante led the Chargers in a record-breaking season. After 20 and 30 wins in his first two years, Musante guided the Chargers to a record-setting 40 wins in ’95. The team made the school’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA postseason and finished in second place at the NCAA Regional Championship. Pitcher Jo-Lynn Cimino gained national acclaim when she set the NCAA record for consecutive shutouts with eight. She finished her season with 15 shutouts and became New Haven’s first-ever softball All-American.
Another NCAA postseason run would follow for the Chargers. In ’96 Musante posted a 29-13 overall record in the program’s second NCAA postseason appearance. The coach earned his first NECC Coach of the Year honors, five players earned All-Conference recognition and the Chargers came just one win shy of their sixth 30-win season.
Musante’s third 30-win season would come the next year, as UNH posted a 31-14 record in 1997. New Haven won the New England Collegiate Conference Championship in ’97 and Musante once again was named the Conference Coach of the Year. Four players earned All-Conference honors and two were named to the All-Region team. The fifth-year head coach earned his 150th career win when the team defeated the University of Bridgeport in its final game of the ’97 season.
In Musante’s sixth and final season, the Chargers once again came just one win shy of reaching the 30-win plateau, boasting a 29-15 record. Six Chargers earned All-Conference honors, including Jennifer Petti who was named the NECC Rookie of the Year.
In total, Musante posted a career record of 179-79 (.694 winning percentage) and averaged 30 wins through his six seasons. He coached 25 All-Conference players, six All-Region players and one All-American. He held UNH softball records for most wins in a season until 2010, most career wins until 2012 and still holds the all-time best winning percentage. Success has followed Musante as he’s continued his coaching career in his free time. He’s been an assistant at Seymour High School since 2000 and helped lead the Wildcats to five state championships.
