Rich Magdon of Ansonia, former head football coach at Fairfield Prep, died Saturday, April 23, at the age of 66.
Magdon passed at Columbus Hospital in Newark, N.J., after a long illness.
Calling hours will be Thursday, April 28, from 3 to 7 p.m., at the Parente-Lauro Funeral Home, 559 Washington Ave., Bridgeport.
Magdon was the second head coach in the history of Fairfield Prep, compiling a record of 96-69-2 between 1993 and 2008. He retired after the 2008 season, just four wins short of 100 for his career.
Magdon coached the Jesuits for 34 years, split into two sessions. He started coaching at Prep in 1970, then coached at Seymour High School in the mid-1970s before returning to Fairfield Prep for what would be a 30-year stay in 1978, eventually replacing Earl Lavery at the helm. Magdon’s head coaching career ended just four wins short of 100.
As an assistant for Lavery, Magdon was on a staff that won two state titles, beating Greenwich in both 1982 and 1988.
As head coach, he led the Jesuits to the Class LL semifinals in 1999 and 2006, and posted seven winning seasons.
In 1996, the Magdon-coached Jesuits ended Cheshire HIgh School’s 49-game win streak, beating the Rams 14-6 at Alumni Field on Oct. 4, 1996.
Fellow teacher and coach Jack Slavinsky wrote a profile of Magdon for the Winter 2008 issue of Prep Today. “Football is a tough game played by tough people. Coaches have to be tough. They also have to be compassionate and caring. They have to be big brothers, surrogate parents, strict disciplinarians and father confessors,” Slavinsky wrote. Click here to see the article.
Fairfield Prep dedicated a plaque in Magdon’s honor at halftime of a game on Sept. 30, 2011. Click here for coverage.
Richard Joseph Magdon, was born in Bridgeport, Aug. 3, 1949, son of the late Joseph and Josephine (Creddo) Magdon.
After graduating from Notre Dame High School in Bridgeport and Fairfield University, Magdon began a teaching career at Seymour before settling at Fairfield Prep as a teacher, administrator and coach.
“Always a sports fanatic, coaching and football was soon his love and mission,” according to an obituary from Parente-Lauro Funeral Home. “Over the years he became a respected part of the coaching community and helped lead the Fairfield Prep team as an assistant and later as head coach to many successful seasons.”
After his retirement from Prep, Magdon happily the Ansonia Football Program, staying involved until his health would no longer allow. Among those he coached for the Chargers was his son, He is survived by his son, Jayme Tuttle, Sr. and his special grandson and friend, Jayme (JJ) Tuttle, Jr., several other grandchildren and other relatives.
“Most of all, Rich was a mentor to many young men in his unique style,” according to his obituary. “He will be truly missed by his many friends, the men he mentored and all who knew him.”
Magdon was predeceased by his wife, the love of his life, Julie Tuttle Magdon, in 2013.
He retired from his job as an administrator at Fairfield Prep in 2014.
Memorial contributions are requested to Jayme (JJ) Tuttle, Jr.’s Education in care of, Lawrence F. Pace, Jr., P.O. Box 5126, Bridgeport, CT, 06610.
Interment will be private at the convenience of the family.
