Connecticut high school boys hoops state champion coach steps down

TL;DR

Jim Economopoulos has resigned as the head coach of the Daniel Hand boys basketball team in Connecticut after 10 seasons. He led the team to its first state championship in 2022.

Key points

Jim Economopoulos resigns as head coach of Daniel Hand
Coached for 10 seasons
Led team to first state championship in 2022

Mentioned in this story

Jim Economopoulos

Daniel HandCIAC Division III championship

Photo by Mercedes Oliver/NCAA Photos via Getty Images

One of Connecticut high school boys basketball’s top head coaches has decided it’s time to step away from the sidelines from coaching, according to a report.

Per a report by CTInsider.com, Jim Economopoulos has stepped down as the boys basketball head coach at Madison (CT) Daniel Hand after 10 seasons citing wanting to focus on family priorities. Economopoulos led the Tigers to the program’s first ever state crown in 2022 when they won the CIAC Division III championship.

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“This is a decision me and my wife (Tayler) discussed going into this year. (Leaving) was very much on the table heading into the year. And the chaos of my life this winter confirmed it for me,” Economopoulos said via the CTInsider report. “It was really, really hard having that conversation with Chris (Farrell, Hand’s athletic director). Telling the players was even worse. I’ve known a lot of these kids since fifth grade through Madison Travel Basketball or at my (basketball) camps.”

For having been at the program for a decade as the lead man of the Tigers, Economopoulos compiled an overall record of 112-105 from 2016-17 to 2025-26, becoming one of the top coaches in the CIAC.

Economopoulos comes from a family that’s embedded in the coaching, son of the late Nick Economopoulos, who won over 600 games and four state championships in the Connecticut high school girls basketball circuit.

According to the final 2025 Connecticut High School Boys Basketball Massey Rankings, Daniel Hand finished with a 9-14 record and as the state’s No. 60th ranked team.