Our Board

Coach Darby McLaughlin is a 1992 graduate of Springfield Central High School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from Westfield State College, and a master’s degree in Education from American International College.

His wrestling achievements include winning state titles in Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman wrestling. In 1992, as captain of the Massachusetts Junior National Team he was a USA Wrestling, Greco-Roman All American. He went on to wrestle Division 1 for Central Connecticut State University.

Coach McLaughlin is one of the premier high school coaches in New England. He is a physical education teacher at Springfield Central High School and is in his 22nd year as the head wrestling coach. His teams have won a combined 13 State Titles. He has also coached numerous individual State, All State and New England Champions, as well as four All Americans and a NHSCA National Champion.

Coaching Accolades

• National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWSCA) Coach of the Year, 2006 & 2017.
• National Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach of the Year, 2013
• Massachusetts Div. 1 Coach of the Year 2011, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20.
• Div. 1 State Champions 2006, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020.
• Massachusetts All State Champions 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020.
• 2X MA Dual Meet State Champions.
• 14X Div. 1 Western Mass Champions.
• 2019 MIAA Team Sportsmanship Award- Presented by the MA Referees Association
• Inducted into the Springfield Public High Schools Sports Hall of Fame as both an athlete and a coach.

Mr. Graham is the Founder and CEO of The Toner Group involved in plastic manufacturing, real estate, and alternative investments.

He was a volunteer assistant coach at Springfield College (1980 -1985) and was a volunteer and head coach at E. Longmeadow H.S. from 2005 – 2015.

He is a graduate of Princeton University with a BS in Chemical Engineering. He was an EIWA Champion in 1978 and honorable mention All-America. Mr. Graham is married with 3 children.

Mr. Brookes is a Senior Sales Executive at Endo Pharmaceuticals, where he specializes in clinical expertise and territorial growth for the organization. Previously he received awards for sales growth and leadership at Solsys Medical/Misonix and Ethicon Johnson & Johnson.

Prior to going into private industry Mr. Brookes was a teacher at Springfield Central High School.

He played baseball at Springfield college and has held numerous coaching positions including the hitting coach with the Holyoke Blue Sox in 2009 and 2010 and the head coach of the New England Ruffnecks, a college prep team with 40+ players receiving college scholarships. Three of those players went on to play professionally including Isan Diaz from Springfield Central H.S. Mr. Brookes received a degree in Movement and Sports Studies from Springfield College. He is married with two daughters.

Jason Franklin graduated from Westfield State University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work.

He began his career at the Department of Children and Families in Springfield, MA, where he worked from 1993 to 2009. Transitioning into education, he served as the Dean of Students at New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, MA, from 2009 to 2014.

From 2016 to 2019, he was the Assistant Director at the Department of Youth Services Juvenile Facility on Tinkham Road in Springfield, MA. He is currently an independent contract provider with Hopewell Inc.

As an athlete, Franklin played basketball at Westfield State University, earning First Team All-New England honors and being named Conference Player of the Year in 1993.

Coach David Alvarado is a 1990 graduate of Roger L. Putnam Vocational High School, now known as Putnam Vocational Academy.

In the past 22 years as the head coach of Putnam Vocational Academy, he has coached numerous New England qualifiers, All State, State and Sectional Champions. In 2018 his team won the Western Massachusetts Division 1 Title and he was named 2018 Coach of the year.

Dave’s passion for wrestling began in high school and has carried on through his adult life. He understands that connection and positive role models with inner city youths will enable them to set the foundation for a fulfilling future. Coming from the inner city himself, Coach Alvarado understands the value of good role models and mentors.

Coach Alvarado is a 29 year veteran with the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department (HCSD). He currently holds the rank of Primary Captain in the Special Operations Division. His coaching and instructing has carried on in his professional career as well. David has mentored numerous new officers as they began their career with the department knowing the importance of having competent well balanced staff. Coach Alvarado realizes the importance of mentorship and was a member of the mentorship development committee. He is highly regarded as a sincere, trusted and capable mentor.

Throughout his career with the HCSD, he has held various instructorships to include: Defensive Tactics Instructor Trainer, Firearms Instructor Trainer, and Use of Force Instructor. Coach Alvarado has instructed hundreds of new correctional staff as well as veteran officers in the above mentioned disciplines.

Athletic & Wrestling:

• Springfield Technical High School 1971-74 – Football, Wrestling & Track
• Mass Maritime Academy 1974-78 – Football, Wrestling & Lacrosse
• Springfield Athletic Hall of Fame
  
  Officiating & Non-Profit Experience:
• 40+ Years as an active High School and College wrestling official
• Board Member (current) – Richard D. Molbury Memorial Scholarship
• Board Member (past) – William J. Pickett Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament
• Youth Coach – West Springfield, MA

Professional Experience:

• Retired Project Manager (34 Years) – w/PMP Certificate
• 29 Years Project Engineer, Project Manager, Project Director – General Electric – Power Boiler Division
• 5 Years – Director of Project Management Department – US Power Boiler Division

Jose Escribano is the Chief of Family and Community Engagement for the Springfield Public Schools. He served as a principal prior to his current position. Jose holds a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and School Adjustment Counseling along with his Administrators license.

Jose was a standout wrestler in FL winning state freestyle titles and was the number one qualifier representing FL at freestyle nationals. As an assistant coach, he was a part of many of Central High Schools state championship teams. For three years he served as the head Greco Roman coach for MA producing several All of Americans.

Jessica earned Associate’s degrees in both Accounting and Management from Springfield Technical Community College in 2007. Born and raised in Springfield where she currently resides with her husband Jean-Roudy, she has four sons who play multiple sports, including High School (HCSS) and College Wrestling (WNE). She is very active in the community, volunteering her time on her sons’ Sports teams’ Board of Directors and/or booster clubs (in addition to Grit, the Springfield Sharks Swim Club, and Hampden Charter School of Science Wrestling and Soccer teams), and with the Ride to Remember to name a few.

Currently working at Christina’s House, a non-profit Educational transitional home for homeless women and their children here in Springfield, where she started as a volunteer while a stay-at-home mom, as the Administrative Coordinator/Bookkeeper. She brings a wealth of non-profit accounting, fundraising, marketing, and program creation and implementation knowledge to the Grit team.

She has been the “team mom/den mother” of the Hampden Charter School of Science Wrestling and Soccer teams since 2015 and is known for providing extra snacks and drinks for tournaments, helping with transportation, checking in on grades and offering help to make sure they stay eligible to play, watching the bout board (Flo) to let the kids/coaches know when someone is in-the-hole, and fundraising for the teams.

Born in 1954 in Chicago, Illinois, Mr. Cormier attended elementary school, high school and 2 years of college before relocating to Massachusetts in 1974. He completed his college education at University of Massachusetts, Amherst graduating in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. While in college he earned three Division I Varsity Letters for wrestling and was a two-time New England place winner.

He began working in the property and casualty insurance industry in October, 1977 and has been continuously employed in that industry ever since. For the last 28 years Mr. Cormier served as the Central and Western Mass senior marketing representative for Plymouth Rock Assurance Corp. headquarters in Boston, MA. In that role Mr. Cormier called on independent insurance agencies promoting Plymouth Rock products and services in Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire Counties. He is well known and respected throughout the independent insurance agency community.

Dana was married for 33 years to his wife Sharon (Desautels) Cormier who passed away in March, 2025. Sharon worked for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services for 34 years before retiring in 2018. They lived in the same home for the past 30 years while raising two sons now aged 30 and 33. Both sons graduated from Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay with degrees in Marine Engineering. The older son “shipped out” for 5 years before returning to Mass Maritime Academy and obtaining a master’s degree in Facilities Engineering.

Dana served the Town of Ludlow as a youth and high school wrestling coach for 15 years, youth soccer coach for 5 years and Board of Director of the Ludlow Housing Authority for 12 years. During his involvement in the town wrestling programs Ludlow High School won 6 consecutive Western Mass Division I sectional championships and he was named the Western Mass Coach of the Year in 2003. He served as a parent representative for 3 years on the Ludlow High School Council and presently serves as a

Registrar for the Town of Ludlow.