NORTH BRANFORD, CT — Babby Nuhn, head field hockey coach at North Branford High School since 1972, has added another accolade to her impressive resume, as she has been elected as a member of the 24th class of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Hall of Fame.
Nuhn and fellow inductees Paula Doughty of Skowhegan Area High School in Maine and James Madison University head coach Christy Morgan will be honored January 11, 2024, at the NFHCA Awards Dinner, the culminating event of the 2024 NFHCA Annual Convention in Lake Mary, Florida.
In her half-century at the helm of the Thunderbirds, Nuhn has amassed a 557-209-103-7 record, for a remarkable .720 winning percentage. Her teams have captured six state championships, appeared in eight state championship finals and clinched 14 conference titles.
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“What started out as a teaching and coaching job right out of college in the 1970s became an extremely rewarding career as an educator and coach at North Branford,” Nuhn said. “And now to be recognized by the NFHCA is the quintessential award of my career. To be included with other Hall of Famers is such a humbling experience. I have been surrounded with strong and positive coaches, parents, players, colleagues, my friends and family, and the entire North Branford community for these five decades. Each of them are the reasons I have stayed with coaching for so long.”
North Branford’s first state title was the 1980 Class M crown, defeating New Milford in the finals to cap off a 17-1-1 season. The following year, in Class S, the Thunderbirds battled to a scoreless tie with Pomperaug to earn co-champion honors. Class S championships were also won in 2006 and 2017.
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The past two seasons, North Branford won the fifth and sixth state titles in program history, earning shutout victories over Stonington each time.
Nuhn has been accorded a number of honors over the years, including the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) Class S Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2017. She was inducted into the CHSCA Hall of Fame in 1998, and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2019.
On Oct. 22, she will receive the prestigious Gold Key Award, one of the highest honors in Connecticut athletics, by the Connecticut Sports Media Alliance.
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