Wreckers Coaching Staff
Varsity Head Coach
Joe Black
Joe Black became the Varsity Head Coach in the 2026-2027 season after 3 years since joining the Wreckers coaching staff in the 2023-24 season as a Varsity Assistant Coach. During those three years, Staples Went to 3 FCIAC Finals winning two titles in 2025 and 2026 while being runner up in the 2026 CIAC Division 1 State Championship game.
Joe grew up in Fairfield, CT and was a three-year varsity basketball player for Fairfield Warde High School. After graduating, Joebrought the energy and IQ that he played with and took it to the sidelines, becoming a volunteer Assistant Varsity Coach for three years at Warde. In addition, he has spent over a decade coaching youth players in both Fairfield and Westport as a part of PHD Basketball and Westport PAL Travel. While coaching, he graduated in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Fairfield University. Currently, Joe works as an Operations Manager for Neptune Retail Solutions. He currently resides in Trumbull with his wife Marissa and their newborn son Mason.
Associate Varsity Head Coach
Chris Pickens
Chris Pickens joined the Wreckers coaching staff in the '22-'23 season, bringing over twenty years of experience training athletes of all levels, including high school, college, and professional players. Most recently, Coach Pickens worked with Xavier University and their alumni team, Zip ‘Em Up, as an Assistant Coach at the TBT Tournament. Prior to that, he spent seven years in the Chicago area as the Assistant Varsity Head Coach at two different high schools, Lake Zurich High School and Mundelein High School, reaching the Elite 8 and winning Conference, Regional, and Sectional Championships. Coach Pickens is proud to have mentored and coached five All-State players, ten All-Area players, ten All-Conference players and a Two-Time Conference Player of the Year.
Junior Varsity Head Coach
Jake Sullivan
Jake Sullivan returns as the Junior Varsity Head Basketball Coach at Staples. Prior to Staples, Jake coached the Ludlowe JV Summer League team for seven years, and spent the 2016-2017 season as a Varsity Assistant Coach at Ludlowe during the winter season. Jake grew up loving the game of basketball, and fondly remembers learning it from his father David Sullivan, who coached at St. Thomas Aquinas Middle School for over 30 years. Jake played 4 years at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. In 2016, he received the Basketball Scholarship awarded to one senior, and also the John Mullady Award, which goes to one athlete who best represents athletics at Ludlowe. Jake has always found enjoyment in the game of basketball and is always looking to learn more and more even as a coach. He wants his players to have a similar experience to what he had in growing up and having fun playing basketball. Outside of hoops, Jake loves to workout, and watch his favorite sports teams, which include Notre Dame football, UConn basketball, and the New York Knicks.
Freshman Head Coach
Griffin Kass
Griffin Kass joined the Wreckers as the Freshman Head Coach in the 2025-26 season. Griffin grew up in Westport, CT, and graduated from Staples High School in 2019. He then attended Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, where he graduated with a Bachelor's of Communications in 2023. During that time, he was heavily involved in the student media program and also played on the club basketball team. Griffin has spent the previous two winters in Darien coaching several youth basketball teams. He has also spent the last two years coaching AAU basketball for PHD. Griffin has developed such a profound passion for coaching basketball since graduating from Quinnipiac. He loves building strong relationships and working with players to ensure that their love for the game shines brightly for many years to come.
freshman/varsity Assistant coach
Joe LaPrad
Joe LaPrad joined the Wreckers coaching staff in the 2025-26 season as the Varsity and Freshman Assistant Coach after seven years seven years at the helm of the Brien McMahon HS Senators Boys Varsity basketball team. The eight years prior, he was the varsity assistant, JV and freshman coach at BMHS. He was also the JV and Varsity assistant coach at Fairfield Warde HS while completing his masters degree.
Joe grew up in Brunswick, ME and was a two sport Varsity Letterman in basketball and soccer at Brunswick High School. Coach LaPrad won the state championship in basketball in 2002 after an undefeated season of 24-0 and made it all the way to the state semifinal in 2003. During his three years of playing Varsity HS basketball, his team finished with a record of 64-3. Joe graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Biology and Spanish from Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA in 2007. During his time on campus, he played Varsity basketball for two years. Coach LaPrad completed his masters degree in Secondary Education at Fairfield University in 2009. Currently, Joe is a Marine Studies and Biomedical Science teacher at Brien McMahon HS. Coach LaPrad resides in Stamford with his wife, Kelsey, and daughters Lucy and Mae.
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