Long-time Holy Cross coach and AD Jim Cunningham passes away

Jim Cunningham, center, and Graylin Harris, right, were inducted into the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010. Cunningham coached Harris at Holy Cross. 

Jim Cunningham, the Hall of Fame wrestling coach from Holy Cross High in Waterbury, passed away on Monday at the age of 82 at his home in Wolcott.

A graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) in Brockport, Cunningham touched many lives as a wrestling coach and athletic director.

Cunningham founded two wrestling programs at Cardinal Mooney High School in Rochester, N.Y. in 1964 and at Holy Cross in Waterbury.

His Cardinal Mooney teams won three straight City Catholic championships in Rochester from 1968-70. He coached wrestling, football and track and field while serving as a physical education, biology and physical science teacher.

He moved to Holy Cross in 1971, became athletic director and coached the wrestling team from 1972-89, winning 166 matches. Despite no feeder program, his Crusaders finished third in Class LL in 1980 and fourth in Class LL in 1989.

Hall of Fame wrestling coach Jim Cunningham, the long-time coach and AD at Holy Cross, died on Dec. 29 at the age of 82.

Jim served as chairman of the CIAC’s wrestling committee from 1979-83 and twice served as president of the Naugatuck Valley League (1981, 1989).

He was honored by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association as its wrestling coach of the year in 1983 and by the Connecticut Association of Schools as their athletic director of the year in 1995. At Holy Cross, he helped introduce girls sports at the school, which was an all-boys school until 1975.

Jim served as athletic director for Holy Cross for 34 years before retiring in 2004. Along with coaching wrestling, he was an assistant football coach and track and field coach at Holy Cross. He was inducted into Holy Cross’ Hall of Honor.

After retirement, he didn’t stay away from the wrestling mat. He was an assistant coach at Xavier High in Middletown, coaching with his son, Michael, from 2005-14. He spent three years as an assistant coach with the Thomaston co-op program (2019-21) with the late John Varanelli, who he coached at Holy Cross in the 1970s.

Cunningham was inducted into the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2010.

In 2010, Jim Cunningham (center with black bow tie) was inducted into the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Cunningham was born on January 20, 1943, in Malone, New York, to the late Allen E. and Alice (Stark) Cunningham. He grew up on the family farm and graduated from Franklin Academy in 1960, where he was a member of the football and track teams. During his junior year, he earned All-American honors in football.

He attended SUNY-Brockport, where he met his wife, Maureen. A 1964 graduate, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education and was an active member of the football and track teams. In 1962, he was one of the founders of the Brockport Lacrosse Club. He later earned his Master of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from SUNY Brockport in 1968.

Cunningham is survived by his wife Maureen, two sons, Michael and Thomas, four grandchildren and a great grandson.

Calling hours will be Friday, Jan. 2, from 4-7 p.m. at Chase Parkway Memorial at 420 Chase Parkway in Waterbury. A funeral service will be Saturday, Jan. 3, beginning at 10 a.m. at Chase Parkway Memorial.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Jim’s memory to Holy Cross’ James Cunningham Athletic Complex Fund of the James Cunningham Scholarship Fund at Holy Cross.

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Posted Monday, December 29, 2025 at Connecticut Wrestling Online