The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) has announced its 2026 Hall of Fame Class, which will be inducted on Wednesday, July 29, at the Hyatt Regency in Buffalo, New York.

The NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame, launched in 2002, is sponsored by Zolnier Championship Rings, Crown Awards and Pupil Benefits Plan, Inc. Ticket information and additional event details will be released at a later date.

The Class of 2026 includes Julie Stimik Bergman (Contributor, Section IV), Fred Fusaro (Coach, Section XI), Dan Gillespie (Coach, Section 2), Paul McClintock (Official, Section I), Walter Munze (Official, Section III) and Carla Tagliente (Athlete, Section IV).

Inductees were selected through a two-tiered screening and selection process involving both a screening committee and a selection committee. Each nomination was first endorsed by the inductee’s respective section before advancing to the NYSPHSAA Screening Committee and ultimately the Selection Committee.

Fred Fusaro is regarded as one of the winningest high school football coaches in New York State history and among the greatest to ever coach on Long Island.

From 1971 to 2002, Fusaro built one of the state’s premier football programs while leading Sachem High School. During his 31-year tenure, he compiled a 192-95 career record, captured six Suffolk County championships and 15 league titles, and guided Sachem to 22 consecutive playoff appearances.

Individually, Fusaro was named Suffolk County Coach of the Year 15 times, with the award now bearing his name. Sachem named its football field in his honor in 1999 and inducted him into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2016. He was later inducted into the Suffolk County Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 2005.

Following his retirement from teaching and head coaching in 2002, Fusaro served as an assistant coach at John Glenn High School through 2024. In 2025, he returned to his roots by joining the coaching staff at Huntington High School, his alma mater, as a line coach.

Throughout his career, Fusaro earned widespread respect for his disciplined approach, emphasis on character and commitment to developing young men into leaders both on and off the field.

A graduate of Huntington High School in Section XI, Fusaro earned a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College, where he played four years as a nose tackle, before earning a master’s degree from St. Lawrence University.