Cherise Galasso’s first coach in every sport she played was her dad.
Joe Galasso oversaw his daughter’s youth basketball, soccer and softball squads, nurtured her love for the games, taught her to value team first, encouraged and brought out the best in her and her teammates.
“He was awesome,” Galasso, in her 24th season as WPI women’s basketball coach, said earlier this week. “Whether or not you were the quickest, fastest or strongest, ‘What did you have?’ He focused on what you could be great at. He was super optimistic.”
Joe Galasso passed away in August 2021, but his positivity, drive and work ethic live on through his daughter, who has built the WPI program with those principles.
Last week, with a convincing victory over Mount Holyoke, Cherise Galasso achieved her 400th career win, and the milestone stirred memories.
“For me,” Galasso said, “in these moments you think back and reflect. My dad is where I got my love of athletics. We always had that bond, and we always talked after games. It’s hard not having that the last couple of years, but it was a nice time for me to think back on that time with him. He would be proud.”
Galasso is just the 38th active coach out of over 400 in Division 3 women’s basketball and the 108th overall in D3 to reach 400 wins.
“It was a great experience to be there and help her reach that milestone as a team,” WPI senior Shannon Reno of Millbury said. “She does a whole lot for all of us, so it’s nice to see her get recognized for those accomplishments she gets. Having a small part in it is really special.”
Galasso has earned 365 of her victories at WPI, and 35 during three years at Regis, where she began her head coaching career.
“It’s definitely a nice milestone,” Galasso said. “As a coach, it means you’re fortunate to be in the game for a while doing what you love, and I’m grateful to WPI for that and all their support. For the program, it’s all about the players. We’ve had a lot of great players who have allowed us to get to this point and terrific assistant coaches who have really helped raise the bar. It’s a sign that our culture is strong, we’re competitive every year, and that’s what we want. We’re proud of our kids and the product we put out.”
Galasso is the all-time leader in WPI women’s basketball coaching victories and a 2022 WPI Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
Galasso guided the 2015-16 WPI team to its first NEWMAC Tournament championship, an NCAA tourney appearance, and 24 wins, which tied a program single-season record. Her WPI teams have produced eight 1,000-point scorers.
“It’s incredible to have a coach who has 400 wins,” WPI freshman guard Emmy Allyn of Rutland said. “It’s an amazing feeling because you know you’re playing under a coach with so much experience. She’s been so great to me.”
Allyn was a star point guard at Wachusett Regional and helped the Mountaineers to back-to-back Division 1 state semifinal appearances the last two years. Galasso was a major factor in Allyn choosing WPI, and the coach has helped her development during his first collegiate season.
“She really helped me with my composure on the court,” Allyn said, “because obviously college basketball is a whole different level. (She helped me with) keeping a level head and being able to play the way I know how to play.”
Allyn ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 11 points in her 18 starts.
It was a celebratory month for Reno, whose dad, and her coach at Millbury High, Steve Reno, earned his 400th win two weeks before Galasso.
Shannon Reno, who played a major role in many of those victories, made it to the Woolies’ one-point triumph over Northbridge after practice on Jan. 12.
“It was nice to be able to see that,” Reno said. “I’m very lucky to be coached by two very successful coaches.”
Allyn’s Wachusett coach, Jim Oxford, went for career win No. 300 Tuesday night against Shrewsbury. Allyn hoped to attend.
“Ox and Coach Galasso have similar coaching styles,” Allyn said. “They understand the game the same way. Playing for Ox brought me into WPI with a lot of IQ that was necessary for how Coach Galasso likes to play the game.”
—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter @JenTolandTG.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Milestone stirs memories for WPI women’s basketball coach Cherise Galasso
