Ricky Shook’s wrestling career started long before his 32 years as a wrestling coach at Danbury High School.

Back in the 1980s Shook’s record of 58-5 on the wrestling team before graduating from DHS in 1983 led to his being a two-time FCIAC champion and an LL state champion. It also earned him his rightful place in the school’s Hall of Fame.

After high school, Shook wrestled at Central Connecticut State University where he earned a degree in management. There he was named team MVP in addition to finishing third at the Division 1 Eastern Regional as a junior and finishing third at Division 1 New England Regional his senior year.

Among his many coaching awards – a number that tops 40 – include State Class LL Head Coach 14 times, FCIAC Hall of Fame inductee in 2018, Connecticut High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee 2016, New England Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee 2018, and National Wrestling Coaches Association CT Head Coach of the Year four times.

Since his high school days, Shook has worked to make the Hatters one of the top wrestling teams in the county, state and region. As a result of their impeccable and hard-to-beat record, the DHS team has consistently won FCIAC titles (31 out of 32) and placed in the New England Regionals. He was also named Coach of the Year by the FCIAC in 2004, 2005 and 2018. He was named All-Area Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2004-2006. For the 2007-08 season, he was the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year.