Rich Wrase

Induction Year: 2005

Category: Basketball

Location: Westhampton Beach, Eastport & Suffolk Community College

Rich Wrase is the former head coach of the men’s varsity  basketball team at Suffolk Community College, where he started in 2002.

In his first three years, his team accomplished some outstanding feats, among them being only the second team in National Junior College Athletic Association history to have back-to-back championship wins and having an undefeated season in 2003-04 with a record of 34-0, the best in the country.

Rich was named the NJCAA and National Coach of the Year for 2002-03 and 2003-04.  His team enjoyed a winning streak of 55 games, which was broken in November of 2004 with a loss to Kingsborough.

One of the most outstanding facts about this team – and one that Rich is most proud of – is that all the players were Suffolk County residents.

Prior to coaching at Suffolk, Rich was the boys varsity basketball coach at Eastport High School for 10 years, where they won the Suffolk County Class D championship in 1988.

He was also the boys varsity coach for the next 11 years at Westhampton Beach High School where he won numerous championships from 1993 thru 2000.

At these two schools, Rich had inherited losing programs and developed winning traditions for both.

In addition to his great coaching, Rich taught special education and social studies at Eastport High School from 1979 to 2008.