Pulkkinen becomes member of Saint Joseph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame

By Matt Pascarella

Both Windham varsity boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen’s basketball teams have put up impressive numbers in the past couple years winning multiple state championships. He was Coach of the Year in 2024 and in March achieved 100 career wins. Pulkkinen’s latest honor came when he was inducted into the Saint Joesph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame at Saint Joseph’s College on Friday, Oct. 17.

Windham High varsity boys' basketball coach Chad
Pulkkinen, left, was greeted during his induction into the
Saint Joseph's College Athletics Hall of Fame by SJC
Athletics Hall of Fame member John Wassenbergh 
during ceremonies held at Saint Joseph College on
Friday, Oct. 17. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA   

“I never even thought it possible – it’s hard to be a hall of famer here, it’s a storied basketball program. It’s an honor to be a part of that Hall of Fame class,” said Pulkkinen. “It’s definitely something that my family can be proud of especially my parents and my brother and sister who were my biggest support growing up. I think sharing (this) with my family, my friends and teammates, that’s the thing that makes me the happiest.”

Each inductee was interviewed by someone who had had an impact on their time at Saint Joseph’s College. 1996 graduate and 2007 Saint Joseph’s College Hall of Famer John Wassenbergh interviewed him.

When Pulkkinen was around 10-years old, he would watch the men’s basketball games at Saint Joesph’s College and quickly found a friend in Wassenbergh. That friendship has lasted over 30 years. Wassenbergh coached him during the summer and watched him develop as a player. Pulkkinen looks up to Wassenbergh, but Wassenbergh said he also looks up to Pulkkinen.

“There are moments in your life that you just don’t forget; this’ll be one of them,” said Wassenbergh, in reference to the ceremony. I’ve known him since he was 10 years old. Chad is the epitome of hard work, perseverance, dedication, doing it the right way. He overcame two surgeries in his college career. He gives it his all every single time. He kept fighting (when injured), which is a testament to his character. I see his son today and it brings me back to the spitting image of a kid running around our gym when I was playing here. He came to every single game; I would throw him the ball during the layup lines and there was a great connection.”

In his freshman year at Saint Joseph’s College, Pulkkinen tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament. Less than a year later, he tore his ACL again in what he described as “extremely dark moments” for his first two years playing college ball. Being injured was a life lesson for him. It took away everything he loved. He said he thought it was the best thing for him because he looked at the game differently; he appreciated it differently, especially after the second injury.

There were doubts from people that maybe it was time for him to stop playing, but this was motivation for him to fight harder and come back stronger than before. He loved playing for Saint Joseph’s College, and after returning had his strongest season in his graduate year.

He watched players like Wassenbergh and Carl Howell go overseas and thought maybe that could be him someday. Pulkkinen started a dream through them. After college, with his BS in business, he went to play for the Northampton Neptunes in the European Basketball League.

Almost all of Pulkkinen’s coaching style can be attributed to Saint Joesph’s College and the best basketball coach in Maine, Rick Simonds. He got a kickstart his freshman and sophomore years when he was injured. Having Simonds his freshman year and Rob Sanicola his sophomore through graduate years really set him up with the Monk standards and traditions that he and his coaches work to pass on to Windham teams.

“I want Windham alumni to be proud and hopefully my experiences including failures and successes can help my current players,” said Pulkkinen.

Former Saint Joseph’s College men’s basketball coach Rob Sanicola said one word defines ever player over the course of their career; for Pulkkinen, that word is perseverance. Not just in his strong stats, but in the unseen battles and long rehabs. He kept pushing, rising and believing. He didn’t just play through adversity; he became the definition of how to overcome it. During his time as a Monk, he was a fighter, a teammate, and the heart of St. Joesph’s College basketball. Sanicola said this was a well-deserved honor and more than that, he’s proud of their friendship to this day.

“As coaches you’re constantly asking your players to come back as better versions of themselves,” said Windham varsity assistant boys’ basketball coach Geoff Grigsby. “Coaches have to work and come back a better version as well. That may be Chad’s best quality, he’s never content with where things are; he works to be a better dad, husband, coach, business owner, better community member. His players respect him and want to do well for him and be like him. He worked even harder to come back from multiple knee surgeries and still have a great career and be the best version of himself in his last year here. There’s nobody that has better character than Chad.” <

WHS basketball coach Pulkkinen to be enshrined in SJC Athletics Hall of Fame

By Matt Pascarella

Over the last few years, Windham High varsity boys’ basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen and his team have made quite a bit of news. Pulkkinen’s team won back-to-back State Championships in 2024 and 2025, and he achieved his 100th career win. If that wasn’t enough, Pulkkinen was notified on June 10 by his former Saint Joseph’s College basketball coach Rob Sanicola that he will be inducted into the 2025 Saint Joseph’s College Athletics Hall of Fame at the Stone Barn at Saint Joseph’s College on Oct. 17.

Windham High School varsity boys'
basketball coach Chad Pulkkinen is 
shown during a college basketball game
during the 2006-2007 season. He will
be enshrined in the Saint Joseph's
College Athletics Hall of Fame during
a ceremony at the college in October.
PHOTO BY SAINT JOSEPH'S 
COLLEGE ATHLETICS  

“To be able to deliver the news to someone who gave so much to the program and the college, was truly special,” said Sanicola. “He poured his heart into Saint Joseph’s College; to be the one to tell him he was getting this well-deserved recognition was an honor. He embodied what it meant to represent Saint Joseph's College, and it wasn't about just how he played, but how he carried himself every day. What made Chad special was the impact he had on the people around him. From day one, Chad cared deeply about leaving the program better than he found it, and he absolutely did that; he made it better for everyone who came after him.”

After suffering possible season-ending injuries twice while playing for the Monks, Pulkkinen battled back and was a three-season captain. He set records and achieved major accomplishments including becoming a member of the 1,000-point club, he helped lead the Monks to the 2007 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Northeast Region Independent Championship and a slot in the Eastern College Athletic Conference playoffs, as well as a 2007 All-State honoree.

“I grew up about three miles away from Saint Joseph’s College, so I lived in the gym there; watching, playing and dreaming about one day playing there,” said Pulkkinen. “My parents Bruce and Denise would take me, my brother and sister to the Chamber of Horrors to watch games in a packed gym. I was hooked. I idolized John Wassenbergh, Carl Howell, Steve Schuler, Rob Sanicola, Erbie Mitchell, and all the great teams that I was fortunate to follow. As a kid I wanted to be a Monk, to wear the jersey of the players I looked up to back then. To be inducted into the Hall of Fame just validates the work and the unseen hours, the long days and the tough times where I was able to persevere. To me the honor is shared with my family, teammates, and coaches who helped put me in the best position for success.”

To truly understand Pulkkinen’s success at Saint Joseph’s College, you only need to look at his determination. He tore his Anterior Cruciate Ligament during a Christmas break tournament in his freshman year. He tore the same ACL again less than a year later; and was devastated as the rehabilitation process was physically and mentally challenging. It would be extremely difficult to return to the player he once was. A lot of people questioned whether he would be able to continue to play.

Pulkkinen took that skepticism and used it to motivate himself; he told himself he would return better than he was when he was healthy. He was granted a fifth year and a medical redshirt because of the lack of games he played in after his second injury. He returned a year later and had his strongest season in his graduate year.

“Through my injuries I really started to understand the game from a coach’s perspective as I was able to participate more with the coaches on that side of things since I was not able to play,” said Pulkkinen. I learned a ton in my freshman year about the game through (coach) Rick Simonds. My sophomore season I found myself studying film and scouting opponents, something that I became really interested in and felt I brought value to the team and eventually helped me as a player when I returned. I became a more intelligent player and more aware on the court. Off the court my friendships with my teammates and the small knit community of Saint Joseph’s College was memorable and something that has carried over to today, with connections and mentors to reach out to. I was also able to meet my wife Ramsey at school which made my decision to go there even more special.”

During his high school career playing for Windham, he thought playing professionally overseas would be a realistic goal because someone he knew, John Wassenbergh was playing over there. It motivated Pulkkinen to try to get to that point. He became friends with Wassenbergh who would send him gear from overseas. Once healthy, Pulkkinen’s dream seemed attainable again.

“Overcoming two serious knee injuries during one's college career is almost unheard of and coming back from one is impressive,” said Saint Joseph’s College Hall of Fame Committee Chairman Corey McCarthy. “Having it happen again and battling through the rehab again is incredibly difficult and certainly speaks to Chad's character. His time at Saint Joseph’s College coincided with a time frame during which Saint Joseph's College competed as an NCAA DIII Independent meaning conference championships and/or accolades were not available for him to attain. His play helped the Monks go about as far as they could, NCAA Independent Tournament and ECAC Tournament championship game appearances, achievements that absolutely played a major role in the program's success as a new member of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference the following year.”

In 2007, having obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in business, Pulkkinen played in the European Basketball League for the Northampton Neptunes, where he, along with his team helped mentor and coach 400 kids within the community, teaching them the fundamentals of the game.

Since leaving Saint Joseph’s College, Pulkkinen has continued to give back to the school. His family company, Windham Millworks, has been involved in several campus projects, including the redesign of the Hall of Fame Room and the finishing work for Baggot Street, their student union.

“I think there is no better role model,” said Windham assistant coach George McCrillis, who’s coached alongside him for 11 years. “He took the lessons he learned at Saint Joe’s and converted them into running a super successful business. There’s his commitment to his community; he would not be coaching someplace else. He has a basketball intellect where he could easily coach at the collegiate level, but this is his community, he’s tied to Windham, he loves Windham. He wants the best for Windham.”

Pulkkinen says he would like to thank his mom, Denise, his agent, trainer and coach. She took him to every gym possible as a kid and fostered his love of the game. He would also like to thank his dad, Bruce, as well as his wife, Ramsey, who has shown him all the love and support in the world. He also thanks his family, teammates, his friend John Wassenbergh, Coaches Kevin Millington, Simonds and Sanicola and past Monks players who inspired an 8-year-old kid to dream big and chase it with everything he had. <