Meet 2026 BHS Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame Member Jan Grisso
By Julie Perine on July 27, 2026
Since seven-year-old Jan Cantarelli was a member of the Chestnut Hills Swim Team, swimming has been a constant in her life. She also competed in and coached summer college league at WVU and coached her children’s club swim program.
Fast forward to the present and Jan Grisso is looking back on 33 years of coaching the Bridgeport High School Swim Team which has garnered nine state championships and 15 state runner-up positions.
“Obviously the wins were great, but also, we had a lot of swimmers who had never swum before. Taking those kids and making swimmers of them and seeing them improve was wonderful,” she said. “We were blessed with good kids, good students, polite kids through the years.
They were very good sports and respected throughout the state and that has been very important to me and to the school.”
It all started in 1993 when she received a phone call from Dr. Doyle Sickels, asking her to consider the position – coaching the first BHS swim team.
“I was excited. It would be building the program from the ground up,” said Grisso, about the then unsanctioned sport. “I knew the kids had talent, but it was a matter of putting it all together.”
It literally took a village.
“At that time, the county wasn’t funding newer sports including swimming and soccer. Parents had to arrange bussing and work hard to make money and support the team,” she said. “I’ve always said we have the cream of the crop, such great kids. And it’s not only the kids, but also the parents. I’ve made some wonderful friends.”
In addition to the accolades and sincere joy for her swimmers’ accomplishments, Grisso notes the 2021 opening of The Bridge Sports Complex and pool as a notable year.
“For so many years, we made that trip to the YMCA every day to use three lanes of the pool. Sometimes there were 40 kids swimming,” she said. “I just want to thank the city of Bridgeport and the community for providing us with The Bridge. That was such a blessing.”
There have been plenty of highs during her coaching career, but also some lows.
“My son Andrew and I both had cancer (2000 and 2021, respectively) and then there was COVID,” Grisso said. “The team was great to me during those times. Assistant coaches would step up and helped get me through some tough times.”
She considered not coming back to coaching after the pandemic and her illness, but instead she made a promise to some of her eighth-grade students at Bridgeport Middle School.
“I told them I’m going to stay until you graduate – and I did,” she said. “I knew it was time. I’ve missed a lot with my grandchildren in winter sports and now I’ll be able to be there and watch them. I knew with Wendy Madden as my assistant coach and Kimberly (Sickels) Horne helping, I was leaving the team in good hands.”
The future is bright for BHS swimming.
“The girls’ team is going to be phenomenal, and the boys will be good too. Several graduated this year, so they will have to do some rebuilding,” she said.
Grisso plans to continue teaching for half days at BMS, where she has taught science for 15 years. She knows by experience that “kids keep you young.”
“I also babysit some of my grandchildren and my grandson wrestles in Parkersburg and my granddaughter just committed to the University of Pitt Gymnastics Team, so I’ll be making trips to see them compete,” she said.
Grisso entered the workforce as a dental hygienist. After completing her studies at WVU, she worked in the field for 15 years.
“I think my calling was to be a teacher from the beginning. I love working with kids and I love to see their progress,” she said. “I never had a day that I didn’t want to go to work since I’ve been a teacher and many times, I wasn’t so excited to go to work when I was a hygienist.”
In addition to team honors, Grisso has been named 2002 and 2019 West Virginia Coach of the Year, 2020 Big 10 Coach of the Year, and multiple years was named Harrison County Coach of the Year. To that impressive list, she now adds 2026 class of the Bridgeport High School Alumni & Friends Foundation Hall of Fame.
“This whole end of the season has been like a whirlwind,” said Grisso about her final season which ended in both boys and girls claiming state runner-up finishes and she announced her retirement. “Now this happened, and I’m overwhelmed again.”
Grisso and her fellow inductees, Annabel Timms and Vincent Pinti, will be honored during the Aug. 28 BHS football game at Wayne Jamison Field and the Aug. 29 BHS Alumni & Friends Hall of Fame Banquet at The “O” by Oliverio’s. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Pictured left to right: David Grisso, Andrew and Sarah Grisso, Isabella and Parker Woods, Jan Grisso, Lilly Owens, Katherine Owens, Christina and Josh Woods, Greg Owens. Front: Annie Grisso, Domonick Owens and Carolina Grisso.
