Golden HS boys basketball HC Vullo adds 250th career win to list of accomplishments
GOLDEN, Colo. — Some coaches are all about winning. Lou Vullo, Head Boys’ Basketball Coach at Golden High School (GHS), is all about the kids. I caught up with Coach Vullo as he begins his fourth year with GHS. The GHS program was already a success when he began as its head coach, and Coach Vullo has kept that momentum going. Today, the GHS team can proudly boast that they have made the Sweet 16 for the last three years, and the future looks bright.
When asked what his coaching philosophy is, Vullo said his first focus in coaching is always to help his athletes to become “great human beings and citizens.” He believes that many of the challenges that kids face in sports, and the skills they must gain to overcome them, can be applied to real-life dilemmas now and in the future. Vullo cultivates a positive culture and a team that can not only win, but also harness defeat as a catalyst for learning and improvement.
Born from Sicilian parents in New York, Vullo has lived in Colorado since he was four years old. He was a multi-sport athlete as he grew up, and he graduated from Kennedy High School. His coaching career started soon after (as a Little League football coach) in Greeley, where he first attended college. He later graduated from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and, over the last 30 years, has coached football, baseball, track and field, and—of course—basketball.
Vullo currently lives in Littleton with his wife (Nikky) and his son and daughter (Marcello and Gabriella), who both attend GHS. His son plays on the basketball team, and Vullo says it is a dream to be able to coach him. A Denver Water employee for 30 years, Vullo currently serves as manager of a pipe-installation inspection team. One day soon, Vullo hopes to retire from Denver Water, but—lucky for us—he has no current thoughts of retiring from coaching.
Considering himself to be a program builder, Vullo loves to take teams that are “not on the map” and bring them to peak performance. His first basketball head-coaching position was at Denver’s Sheridan High School, where the Rams had not won a game in three years. During the five years that followed, the team won over 70 games and went to State every year. Impressively, during his 18 years as a head coach, Vullo’s teams have never failed to make the state tournament, and he was recently honored for 250 career wins!
This coach truly loves the kids that he works with and has the deepest respect for who they are and their hard work. Very self-effacing, Vullo is quick to emphasize that he gives his athletes all the credit for his successes. He is grateful for the “outstanding” community support, the enthusiastic fans, the excellent fundraising, and even the Homecoming Parade that honors the GHS athletes each year.
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