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Legendary Langer Earns One More Honor with Call to the Hall

As the old expression goes, "It's not how you start, but how you finish," and that saying rings true as can be for Rich Langer regarding his tenure with Haddam-Killingworth volleyball.

Prior to the recent fall season, the Cougars' head coach said it would be the last one of his 40-year run. While Rich's athletes worked hard to ensure they gave him a spectacular sendoff that culminated with a 26-1 record en route to Shoreline and Class S state titles, he also earned one more crowning achievement to his coaching career by being inducted into the Connecticut Women's Volleyball Hall of Fame on Nov. 25.

"When I was told about it, I was in complete shock, but I was also touched and overwhelmed by the honor," says Rich, whose squad beat Morgan to win Shorelines and then swept Seymour for the state crown. "Much like the girls did when they won All-Shoreline or All-State honors this year, I didn't say too much about it. But it was an exciting honor. It was great working with the kids. Out of the 200-plus kids I had for varsity, they were all great to have and worked hard."

Rich certainly stands among some legendary company in terms of HK coaches as he recorded 580 career victories with six Shoreline Conference banners. However, his greatest joy stems from when Rich sees the influence that the sport of volleyball makes on others.

"You have so many coaches that have been here for a while. Dennis O' Rourke just left football here after last year, Patsy Kamercia is still doing field hockey, and so is Mark Brookes for baseball. Yet it's because they all work hard and enjoy what they are doing," says Rich, who piloted the Cougars to eight state final apperances with this fall marking the program's second title and first since 1991. "I've also had quite a few girls come in from junior high that were athletes of another sport that tried volleyball and stuck with it and that is probably one of the nicest compliments for me-when the kids enjoy the sport and respond to it."

The patriarch of HK volleyball has definitely guided a collection of memorable squads, including that inaugural title team 24 years ago. One Rich's most emotional moments with HK came in the midst of its championship march this past fall.

"The 1991 team was a real exceptional group that worked as a team and to be able to beat Morgan in the state final was a great team accomplishment. We also had a year in Class M [2005] where we made the semis and lost to a great Darien team," says Rich, who taught math for 38 years with 34 of them in the Region 17 school district. "What was rewarding for me was that alumni created a Facebook page for HK volleyball alumni and the Friday before our last week at home, several of them showed up in the stands. It was very touching to me knowing that I made some kind of impact in their lives."

One of Rich's longtime coaching contemporaries at HK is Kamercia, who says Coach Langer always brought the best out of his squads.

"Rich Langer has been the face of HK volleyball for 40 years. During that whole time, he has been able to coach, motivate, and develop his players into becoming very-skilled volleyball players. Throughout his career, year after year, he produced exceptional teams," says Kamercia. "Rich's induction into the Hall of Fame is very much deserved. Congratulations to him on a wonderful career as HK's volleyball coach. He has earned a well-deserved retirement. We started coaching the same year at HK and I will miss not seeing him at HK."

Cougars' Athletic Director Lynne Flint adds that Rich was the ideal conduit between his players and the court.

"It has been such a privilege to work with Rich. He is a positive and respectful coach and exactly the type of person you want to have coaching your student-athletes. He knows the game and knows how to get the best out of student-athletes," says Flint. "His induction into the Connecticut Women's Volleyball Hall of Fame was well deserved as he has built a program at HK that we are all very proud of. It is great to see when good things happen to good people and Rich is one of the best."

Rich still stands firm on the fact that this was the right time to walk away, although he will always cherish the efforts of not only his athletes, but also the parents and faculty he's worked with through the years.

"Over the last 10 years or so, it's been great to see parents help out in concession stands to help fundraise for team banquets and shirts and just put in a lot of energy toward the team. Even at the Hall of Fame, I had parents of an alumnus show up for the dinner, along with a bunch of staff," Rich says. "I don't regret retiring as it seemed like a good time to leave, yet it probably won't hit me until next August, when I'm not working on getting the next season started."