A look at New Haven’s entry into highest level

As New Haven looked forward to defending its Northeast-10 Conference championship back in early May, Chris Celano had no time to tell his returning student-athletes that their lives were about to change.

“I don’t mind being surprised when it’s good news,” laughed Celano, the 15th-year coach who has guided the Chargers to three NE10 championships and four 30-win seasons that concluded with NCAA Division 2 tournament berths since taking the helm in 2012.

The news? Less than two months later, on July 1, New Haven would become official Division 1 members and begin competing with the likes of in-state neighbor Central Connecticut State and recently-transitioned Stonehill in the Northeast Conference this year.

“I didn’t even have time to address anyone because (all of our head coaches) found out the night before, and it got announced publicly at 10 the next morning,” he remembered. “(President Jens Frederiksen) broke the news to the team, which I thought was great in a way. Then, the conversations ensued with the players and about how we were going to maneuver and operate as a program moving forward.”