Robert Tarigo was a 1965 graduate of Clarkstown High School in New York. He attended Central Connecticut State University receiving a Bache-lor of Science degree in Elementary Education, and a Masters degree in guidance. He played basketball from 1965 through 1969 and coached bas-ketball in several Connecticut high schools from 1969 to 1998.
Robert started coaching volleyball at Berlin High School in 1982 and has been there for the past 34 years. His overall record is 444 and 212. His teams won thirteen conference championships, had 53 All-Conference Players, and eleven All-State players. For these achievements he has re-ceived many awards and much recognition. In 1993 he was selected to coach the Connecticut Girls Senior All-Stars, and in 1998 he received the Connecticut Gatorade Outstanding Coach Award. Robert was named a Na-tional Coach of the Year finalist in 2004 and in 2011. He was also inducted into the Berlin High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016.
As a player, Robert also represented Connecticut Men’s Volleyball, and played in the Senior Olympics in New Orleans in 2004. However there is another sport close to Robert’s heart and that is softball. Every summer from 1979 to 2001 he would play in both the American Softball Associa-tion and in the United States Specialty Sports Association. In 1989, he was named to the All-World team for both pitching and playing first base and two years later was inducted into United States Slow Pitch New England Hall of Fame.
Robert credits Bruno Lukas for his start in and love of volleyball, as well as Bill Detrick and Eddie Rosmarin who made a difference in his life. He attributes his success to his dedicated athletes, assistant coaches, and espe-cially the support of his wife Pat, and his two sons Jason and Jeffrey.