An All-American in the late 1970s, Morrone still holds many school records.
Joe Morrone, part of a UConn soccer family legacy and still the leading point scorer in program history, has died, the university announced Tuesday.
The Storrs, Conn., native passed away Sunday at age 67.
Bill Morrone, writing on Facebook, said his older brother died at Hartford Hospital “as a result of battling multiple illnesses that took their final toll.”
The brothers’ father, Joseph Morrone, was the head coach of the Huskies’ soccer team from 1969-96, leading them to a national championship in 1981. The elder Morrone passed away in 2015.
Joe Morrone’s UConn history
Joe Morrone was a high school All-American in the 1976-77 season at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs and led the team to two state championships before enrolling at UConn to play for his father in 1977.
Nearly 50 years after the end of his UConn career, Morrone remains the program’s all-time leading scorer with 158 points. His 61 goals also are a record, and he’s fifth on the all-time assists list with 36.
His single-season record of most points – 57 – also still stands.
Morrone won the 1980 Hermann Trophy, given to the top college soccer player in the nation
In the summer of 1979, Morrone started at back for the U.S. men’s national team in the Pan American Games. He was selected to the U.S. Olympic team, but President Jimmy Carter chose to boycott the Moscow Games.
In 1980, he also was the first draft pick in the North American Soccer League and played for the Tulsa Roughnecks, where he was league Rookie of the Year. He later played for the San Jose Earthquakes and in the Major Indoor Soccer League before his career ended in 1984.
A proud brother remembers
Bill Morrone and sister, Melissa, also played soccer for the Huskies and were named All-Americans. From his front-row seat, Bill watched who he called the best soccer player of his time.
“My brother was, in my biased opinion, the greatest collegiate Men's NCAA Div. 1 Soccer player in the USA from 1977-1980,” Bill Morrone wrote on Facebook. “He was the best to ever play soccer at UConn! I don't say this lightly. Tim Hunter, Paul Hunter, Franz Innocent, Paul Ingham, John Sannis, Lenny Tsantiris, and many others are also in that conversation.”
He continued: “I will always value all the positive, fun and exciting life experiences I had with my older brother, both on and off the field. You will be missed.”
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