University of Connecticut Athletics
Former UConn Men's Soccer Star Joe Morrone Passes Away
5/12/2026 2:13:00 PM | General, Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. -Â Joe Morrone, who won the 1980 Hermann Trophy as the top collegiate soccer player in the country and was a three-time All-American for UConn, passed away on Sunday at the age of 67.
He remains UConn's all-time leading scorer with 158 points, and his 61 goals is also a school record while his 36 assists is fifth. A four-time All-New England selection, he set five school records in his junior season of 1979, including most goals (22) and points (57) in a season. The points record still stands today, while the goals is second.
In the summer of 1979, Morrone was a starting back for the United States national team in the Pan American games and scored a pair of goals in that competition.
Following his senior year, he played in the Senior Bowl All-Star game. He left collegiate play as the leading scorer in New England history.
Morrone was named to the 1980 United States Olympic team but did not compete due to the U.S. boycott of the Moscow games.
He was the first selection of the 1980 North American Soccer League and earned rookie of the year honors with the Tulsa Roughnecks. He played two seasons for Tulsa and for the San Jose Earthquakes for part of the 1982 season.Â
Morrone also played professionally indoors for Tulsa (1980-82) and for Golden Bay and Pittsburgh in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982-84.
Born Joseph M. Morrone, he played soccer at E.O. Smith High School in Storrs, where he was named All-American in 1976-77 and led the Panthers to a pair of state championships.
At UConn, his head coach was his father, the legendary Joseph J. Morrone, who died in 2015. His brother Billy and sister Melissa were both All-American soccer players for the Huskies.Â
