Hall of Fame
Mr. John Halloran is a legendary coach in the sports of basketball, football and track at Whitney Point High School and Vernon-Verona-Sherrill Central School.
Halloran began his career in 1951 when he initiated the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill 11-man football program. One year later he would start an 11-man program at Whitney Point where he spent two separate terms as football coach. There, he collected 15 winning seasons over a 16-year span as a head coach until 1974. His teams also posted five Susquenango League Championships and an undefeated season in 1958.
As successful as Halloran was in football, he was best known for his success in basketball where he accumulated 630 wins—the most all-time in New York State at the time of his retirement in 1993. Over 42 seasons, Coach Halloran led his Whitney Point teams to 15 Susquenango League titles, six Section IV Class A and C championships, and a NYSPHSAA Class C State crown. He earned six Section IV Coach of the Year awards and was recognized twice by the National Federation as Region I Coach of the Year (New England, New York, New Jersey). In 1985, he was inducted into the Cortland State ‘C’ Club Hall of Fame, then in 1993 and 1997 Halloran was inducted into the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Coaches Hall of Fame, respectively.
While serving on numerous Boards and Committees including the Cortland State Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, and National High School Athletic Coaches Association Basketball
Committee, Halloran also found success coaching a third sport--track and field. As a track and field coach for 37 years, he guided Whitney Point teams to several more Susquenango League crowns and Section IV championships. In fact, Halloran led his teams to six consecutive Section relay championships during one span.
A former Chenango Forks High School athlete, Halloran earned a Bachelors degree in 1950 and a Masters degree in 1962, both from Cortland State.