WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Jarrod Grassi stepped down as Hartford High baseball coach on Monday in a surprise move just two games into the 2021 season.
Hartford athletic director Jeff Moreno confirmed Grassi’s resignation in a Tuesday email to parents. Moreno said Grassi informed the team of his decision in a Monday meeting.
Moreno declined to detail a reason for Grassi’s resignation, saying the Hartford graduate’s reasons for leaving are private. Grassi couldn’t be reached for a comment on Tuesday morning.
“Hartford baseball has been very well tended by Coach Grassi over the years, and he leaves the program in great shape for the foreseeable future,” Moreno said in his email. “His work over the years is deeply appreciated, and we hope to see him at Maxfield as much as his schedule will allow.”
Junior varsity coaches Kris Keelty and Bill Vielleux have agreed to oversee the varsity Hurricanes through the remainder of the campaign. Mike Hathorn will assume the JV coaching reins. The Canes were scheduled to visit Otter Valley on Tuesday afternoon.
Grassi guided the Canes to a 4-2 win at Bellows Falls on April 20 in what turned out to be the final game of his tenure, leaving him unofficially at 125-125-1 over 18 seasons. With Grassi unavailable, Keelty and Moreno ran the dugout for Saturday’s 8-5 win at Green Mountain.
Grassi started coaching with the Hurricanes in 2001, eventually taking over varsity responsibilities from South Royalton High grad Mike Ballou. As when he was a high school pitcher, Grassi’s squads competed in VPA Division I against much larger foes and usually held their own. Grassi-coached teams made the D-I finals in 2008 and ’09, beating Mount Anthony, 3-1, in the latter for the school’s first state baseball championship since 1973. Hartford also made the D-I semis on three other occasions on Grassi’s watch.
For most of his years as coach, Grassi also had his father, longtime Hartford selectman Richard Grassi, alongside as an assistant. Hartford’s Maxfield Sports Complex home diamond now bears Richard Grassi’s name.
Keelty and Vielleux both have experience working with the man they’re succeeding. Vielleux played with the younger Grassi in Little League, eventually becoming a three-sport phenom at Hartford High and playing briefly after high school for the Chicago Cubs organization.
“They, alongside the several volunteer assistants, will take great care in leading the teams for the rest of the spring,” Moreno wrote, “and I will begin the process to hire a permanent varsity coach once this season is complete.”
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.
Correction
Mike Ballou played baseball at South Royalton High School. An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified what high school he attended.