Biography

All Antonelli has done in his four years as the school’s head coach is lead the Buccaneers to four straight NHSCA/USA TODAY Super 25 national championships. Blair nailed down the national title with an impressive showing at the Prep Nationals. The Bucs won the national tournament, outscoring No. 2 Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, Pennsylvania) 354-325.

Blair also tied the all-time Prep Nationals record by crowning nine overall individual champs. Antonelli also led the Bucs to team championships at the Beast of the East, Geary and Ironman individual championships.

“Wrestling one of the toughest schedules in the country and going through it undefeated is a huge accomplishment for our guys,” said Brian Antonelli. “Blair wrestlers competed hard, and they represented the School with class the entire season. We are thankful for the support we received throughout, and we are proud of concluding the high school season with a national championship.”

Antonelli joins legendary coach Jeff Buxton as a NHSCA National Wrestling Coach of the Year. Coach Buxton won the award in 1997 while leading the helm at Blair Academy.

Since being honored, Antonelli led his Bucs to a second place finish at the 2020 National Preps.

Records

Lead Blair to 5 team to national prep team titles (2015-2019)

Biography

Scot’s Owatonna team won its first Class AAA dual state title this year, posting a 41-1 overall record and a final # 8 national ranking. He has led Owatonna to the state dual tournament three consecutive years.

A coach who promoted the sport of wrestling like no other is Scot Davis. That promotion helped produce many successful teams (State Champions in 1998- ranked #8 in USA, and 2005- ranked #6 in USA) and ten teams ranked in “Top 25” in the USA.  He coached 12 State Tournament teams and 18 Conference Championship Teams.

In 2010, Rob Sherrill-WIN Magazine wrote in his column the “Top 10” Hotbeds of Wrestling in the United States.”  At #8, Sherrill said: “The clear winner of the one-town, one-team hotbed sweepstakes, Owatonna’s inclusion on this list is a tribute to Owatonna High School coach Scot Davis, the undisputed leader in program promotion.”

Great promotion and a philosophy of participation and asking people to help with the program, Davis never had a losing season as a coach in a 46 year career.  He has turned some losing programs into winners in a short time.  From junior high coaching in Bloomington and Burnsville (while still attending college in the early 1970’s), to Turtle Mountain Community High School in Belcourt (ND) in 1976-77, to Bird Island-Lake Lillian (MN) 1977-78 to 1978-79, Hutchinson (MN)1979-80 to 1984-85, University of Wisconsin-Superior (WI) 1985-86, to 25 years at Owatonna High School (MN) 1986-87 to 2010-11, 2012-13 at Flathead High School in Kalispell, Montana, three years (2014, 2015, 2016) at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie, MN., 2016-17 Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, Iowa and 2017-18 at Westwood Community High School in Sloan, Iowa.  He has never had a losing season record and coached four different HS programs to conference titles (different conferences) and individual state champions at four different schools as well. The accumulation of records has given Davis a coaching record unmatched in amateur wrestling history, with over a 1100 dual meet victories (current high school career coaching record 1129-197-4).

Davis was awarded National High School Wrestling “Coach of the Year” in 1998 by the National High School Coaches Association.  In 2007 he received another “National Wrestling Coach of the Year” honor from Wrestling USA Magazine. He was runner-up for that same honor in 2006.  In 2009 he was named “USA Dream Team Coach” for the 13^th annual Dream Team Classic held in Stillwater, Oklahoma.  Also in 2009, Wrestling USA Magazine awarded him their “Master of Wrestling” Award.  As a college coach, Davis was named one of the “Top Rookie College Coaches in the USA” by Amateur Wrestling News and NCAA News in 1986. He was NAIA-District 14 “Coach of the Year” that season too.  He is a member of 8 Hall of Fames. Davis also served as USA Team Coach for Down Under Sports, taking high school wrestlers from across the USA each summer to compete in New Zealand and Australia.

On the State and Regional level, Davis received 2004 Minnesota “Man of the Year” by Wrestling USA Magazine; 2005 Minnesota (Class AAA) “Coach of the Year;” named 1999 Minnesota “All-Star Coach” for the MN vs WI All-Star Classic: and several District, Region, Section and Conference “Coach of the Year” honors.  He was also selected as 1999 Minnesota All-Star Coach for the annual Minnesota vs Wisconsin All-Star HS Wrestling Classic. In 2011 the Owatonna High School Student Council selected him as “Grand Marshall” for their annual Homecoming Parade.

As a promoter, Davis organized and directed two of Minnesota’s largest “open” tournaments in the Hutch Open (1981-85) and the Owatonna Open (1987-2007).  He served as Chairman of the 1985 Minnesota vs Iowa HS All-Star Wrestling Classic, and was initiator of the Minnesota vs Wisconsin HS All-Star Wrestling Classic.  He served as President of the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association in 1991-92 and MWCA Publicity Director for 8 years (1993-2000). He served on the organizing committee for the 2000 USA Dream Team Classic held at Apple Valley High School. He now serves on the Region 1 Hall of Fame committee, and he serves as Vice-President and host of the Minnesota Chapter of the NWHOF, since 2004. As a writer, Davis wrote one of the nation’s first columns on nutrition for wrestling with his “Nutrition Insight” column for The Guillotine.  That column and other articles he wrote earned him the 1986 Bob Dellinger Award, representing the nation’s “Outstanding Writer of Wrestling.”  Davis has made 16 Wrestling Technique DVD’s for Championship Productions, Inc., that have been sold across the USA, some internationally too. 

Former coaching colleague, Larry Hovden, says: “Davis ,in terms of promotion, is second to none! He always pushed to get people, particularly who contributed to the program, recognized publicly for their contributions.”  A number of those people received national awards.  One supporter was Scot’s wife, Mary.  She received 1999 “National Coaches Wife of the Year” by Wrestling USA Magazine.  Others included Keith Stark, Dale Benjamin and Larry Hovden, receiving national awards for writing, broadcasting and coaching respectively.  Numerous other people received awards on the state, region and local levels.  There were “Honored Guests” at all home meets too.  Retired Owatonna HS Principal and former Athletic Director Jim Herzog says, “I do not know of another person who has so thoroughly and deeply dedicated his life to the promotion of a sport…Scot thinks wrestling every day! He is the perfect candidate for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. I can’t imagine one more deserving of this honor!”

Davis graduated from Bloomington-Kennedy High School in 1969.  There he played football and was wrestling Team Captain.  He attended Normandale Junior College and was on the 1971 State Junior College Wrestling Championship Team. He then attended Augsburg College (B.A-’74) where he was a 1973 NAIA All-American and Team Captain.  He was coached by the late Dick Anderson at Kennedy HS, John Quarles at Normandale College, and Hall of Fame coaches Mike Good and John Grygelko at Augsburg College. Davis holds Masters Degrees from the University of Minnesota (M.Ed-’82) and the University of St.Thomas (M.A.-’95).  He has an additional 75 Graduate Credits at various Universities.

The Davis family includes Scot’s wife, Mary, and their three adult children in Alyssa (currently working Myanmar with  “Save the Children.” Son, Colin, who wrestled for his father and was a 2004 Big 9 All-Conference wrestler and Section One placewinner, living in Owatonna. He has a daughter Taylan (age 7). His daughter Ashley is married to Zach Wilson, and is a nurse at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St.Louis, MO.  Her husband just graduated from Medical School at St. Louis University. They now live in Rochester, Minnesota where Zach is doing is Residency at the Mayo Clinic. They have a daughter Lillian (age 4) and infant son Zachary.

Since he was named the Coach of the Year in 1998, Davis has continued to add more to his impressive resume. In addition to the eight Big Nine Conference titles he won prior to being named, he added another 5 titles while at Owatonna. He has won the most Big Nine Conference Titles in the conference’s history.

After his time at Owatonna, Davis took over at Eden Prairie High School in Minnesota. Here, he coached the team to three Lake Conference Championships from 2014 until 2016.

Most recently, Davis led Sugar-Salen High School in Idaho to a High Country Conference title in 2020. He has a career record of 1158-199-4 after the 2020 seaoson.

Records

1158-199-4 overall record

# 8 national ranking

Professional Achievements

Has coached 19 Conference Title Winning Teams in 5 different conferences and at 5 different schools.

Led Owatonna to the state dual tournament three consecutive years.

Biography

Mike Powell’s program numbers speak for themselves – two Illinois dual team state championships, four state team championships at the individual state tournament, 10 individual state champions and 31 individual all-state wrestlers.

Powell, who won a 1994 state title as a student-athlete at Oak Park River Forest in 1994, also amassed an overall coaching record of 213-44.

 

Records

Overall Coaching Record of 213-44

Professional Achievements

Illinois Coach of the Year 2009

Personal Honors

Coach Powell led his team to two Illinois dual team state championships

Biography

Since taking over at Wyoming Seminary (Kingston, PA) in 2010, Scott Green has turned the Blue Knights into one of the top programs in the nation.

This season, SEM began the year ranked #2 in the nation in the USA TODAY/NHSCA Super 25 preseason national wrestling rankings. However, after winning the prestigious Walsh Ironman at Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio in early December, the Blue Knights moved to #1 in our national rankings, a spot they’ve held through early December. Wyoming Seminary won its first-ever Ironman by 25 points over preseason #1 Blair Academy (Blairstown, NJ).

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Records

Coached team to multiple National Prep Titles

Biography

Palazzo has brought Lake Highland Prep to the top of the rankings since he took over the program in 2009.

Within the first three year, LHP won a state title in 2012 and continued to do so in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.

LHP was ranked fourth in the nation for the majority of the 2016-2017 season. Lake Highland became just the third school in state history to win five state titles in six years, joining Brandon and South Dade.

This year, LHP set a new team record with points at the Florida State tournament with 298.5 points and a total of eight individual champions. They have wins over top ranked Bethlehem Catholic, Malvern Prep before dropping to #1 Blair Academy.

Since being honored, Palazzo has continue to lead LHP to state and national dominance. In 2018, the Highlanders, ranked 4th in the nation, won the inaugural Dual State Championships with a 72-0 victory over Cardinal Gibbons. The claimed both the Dual and Individual team title in 2019 and 2020.

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Records

Record Most State Champions in State Series

Coached 57 Individual FHSAA State Champions

12x FHSAA State Team Champions 2018,2019

Professional Achievements

Flo Wrestling Coach of Year 2016

Dairy Farmer Coach of Year 2011, 2012, 2016,2017

Brighthouse Coach of Year

Spectrum Sports Coach of Year

Orlando Sentinel Overall Coach of Year

LHP Coach of Year 2018

Glenbard North Hall of Fame Member

Personal Honors

Lake Highland Prep became just the third school in state history to win five state titles in six years,

Biography

A 1974 Father Ryan graduate, Simpson was a state runner-up as a senior, helping lead the Irish to a team state title. He returned to Father Ryan as head coach for the 1979-80 season, elevating an already-established sport to state powerhouse status.

In his 33 years on the bench, Simpson has led Father Ryan to 15 state team titles – seven dual titles and eight individual titles – and coached 59 individual state champions. The Irish picked up their 15th title this year in the Division 2 individual state meet. The school now owns almost as many state team titles in wrestling (19) as in all other sports combined (21). Simpson’s teams were Division 2 double champions in 1998 and 2000. His teams also won a Small Division dual title in 1989, a Large Division dual title in 1996 and Division 2 titles in 1999, 2004 and 2010, along with open individual titles in 1987 and 1988 and Division 2 crowns in 2003, 2008 and 2009.

The long-time assistant football coach teaches wellness and social science, and also recently became the school’s athletic director. A 1979 graduate of Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) with a M.Ed. from Tennessee State University, Simpson was the Western Region champion and an NCAA qualifier in 1979.

A member of the Tennessee chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Simpson and his brother, Frank, the head coach at rival Montgomery Bell Academy, were part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class of the MTSU Wrestling Foundation earlier this year.

Since being honored in 2012, Simpson continues to lead Father Ryan.

Father Ryan’s team won another handful of state titles from 2014 until 2017. In 2016, Simpson was honored as the USA Today’s Coach of the Year and the NWCA Coach of the Year. Additionally, the team finished second in 2013 and 4th from 2018-2020.

Records

Coached 20 teams to Division II Tennessee State Championships

Professional Achievements

Tennessee Chapter National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

2016 NWCA Coach of the Year

Biography

Ramos, 57, retired last season after a hugely successful run at the helm of the Collins Hill program, the fourth school he coached in a 34-year coaching career, 29 in Georgia. His overall dual-meet record was 626-80.

Ramos guided Collins Hill to nine state team titles in Georgia’s biggest class, 5A – five individual state tournament titles and four dual state titles – and his Eagles teams finished in the top three for 11 consecutive seasons. A co-founder and past president of the Georgia Wrestling Coaches Association, he is a 22-time Region Coach of the Year and was selected the state’s Coach of the Year five times – in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

His teams were nationally ranked five times in a six-year span. His best team, in 2010, not only reached the top 10, but beat two nationally-ranked teams, including host Easton High, and came within three points of shocking 31-time National Prep champions Blairstown Township (N.J.) Blair Academy in the NHSCA Final Four of High School Wrestling.

Ramos, who coached 34 individual state champions, was selected Coach of the Year, Georgia Chapter, by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 2002 and is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Georgia Chapter.

Since retiring from Collins Hill, Ramos is began to work as the Director of Wrestling at Greater Atlanta Christian School, located in Norcross, a position he still holds.

In 2018, Collins Hill named their wrestling facility in his honor.

Records

Coached team to 5 individual team state championships and 4 dual state championships

Professional Achievements

National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Georgia Chapter Inductee

2002 NWCA's Georgia Coach of the Year

Biography

Chooljian recently completed his 23rd year at the helm of the Timberlane wrestling program. With a record of 385-40-5 as of January 4, 2010, he will pass the 400-victory mark early next season.

This year the Owls finished 23-1 – the lone loss to powerhouse Blairstown Township (N.J.) Blair Academy – and finished 10th in the prestigious Beast of the East tournament. The Owls won their 11th consecutive Division 1 state championship, setting a state record with 314 points.

Timberlane has taken the Division 1 crown 17 of the past 18 years, and the Owls followed that by winning the Meet of Champions all-class state meet for the seventh straight year, the 14th time in the past 16 seasons. Timberlane also has set the standard in the New England Championships.

In 2009, by winning their seventh New England team title, Timberlane became New England’s all-time winningest program, and this season the Owls extended that record with their eighth title. Timberlane has won three straight New England titles, five in the past six seasons and seven titles this decade.    15 Owls wrestlers have won New England crowns under his direction.

Five Timberlane wrestlers have earned NHSCA All-American honors, led by 2002 Senior Nationals champion Matt Smith. The National Federation of State High School Associations followed the NHSCA’s lead by naming Chooljian its National Wrestling Coach of the Year this year.

Choolijian announced he will be retiring from coaching after the 2019-2020 season.

Records

Career Record of 598-50-5

27 New Hampshire State Championships Titles

10 New England Championships Titles

172 Win In-state Consecutive Dual Meet Streak

Professional Achievements

2010 National Federation of High School National Coach of the Year

NHIAA Hall of Fame

New Hampshire Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Biography

Sweigard coached 11 years in the Susquehanna Township school district, earning District 3 Coach of the Year honors in 1989. He has been Central Dauphin’s head coach the past 15 seasons. His teams have won 10 Mid-Penn Conference titles, seven District 3 titles and eight sectional titles. Central Dauphin won state titles in AAA, perhaps the nation’s toughest wrestling class, the past three seasons.

The Rams took the individual team championship in 2007, then doubled up by winning both dual and individual state team titles in 2008 and 2009. Sweigard has coached 58 sectional champions, 22 district champions, 55 state qualifiers, 39 state placewinners and six state champions.

A five-time District 3 Coach of the Year, including each of the past three seasons, Sweigard also was selected as the Pennsylvania Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009 and also was named National High School Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association this season.

Sweigard is still at the helm of Central Dauphin since being honored in 2009. His teams have made 15 appearances at the Dual State Championships from 1999 until 2020. His teams won another two titles in 2010 and 2011. The Rams came in second place in 2013. In addition, Swiegard coached five individual State Champions from 2009 until 2019.

Sweigard captured win number 500 on January 2, 2020 with a shutout, 75-0, over Central Dauphin East.

Records

Boasts over 500 career victories

Coached 8 teams to PIAA Dual State Championships

Has coached 12 Individual PIAA State Champions

Professional Achievements

2013 PAWC Hall of Fame Inductee

2x Pennsylvania Coach of the Year

Biography

In his 26th season at Spencerport, Jacoutot’s Rangers dominated New York State wrestling as few teams have in recent years. Spencerport finished the season 18-0, advanced five wrestlers to the Division 1 state tournament, and crowned two state champions. Spencerport also finished the season ranked 10th by W.I.N. magazine, the highest national ranking in the school’s history.

Jacoutot’s career record is 335-28-1 and his teams own a 40-match winning streak dating back to January 2006. He has led Spencerport to nine unbeaten seasons and none of his last 22 teams lost more than two dual meets in a season. Six of his teams – five in this decade – finished the season No. 1 in the New York State Sportswriters Association rankings. He has coached 31 state placewinners and 11 state champions.

Since being honored, Jacoutot continued to lead Spencerport until he stepped down in 2010. His teams won seven New York State Championships and 21 sectional titles. Individually, he coached 11 state champs and 34 state qualifiers. He finished with a career record of 387-34-2.

Upon retiring, Jacoutot joined The College at Brockport in 2010 as an assistant coach. In 2013, he was promoted to the Associate Head Coach, a position he still holds.

Records

Career Record of 387-34-2

Coached 7 teams to New York State Championships

Coached 11 Individual State Champions

Professional Achievements

12x Monroe County Coach of the Year

2007 NWCA New York State High School Wrestling Coach of the Year

Biography

Since taking over the reins at Cary in 1982, Winterton’s teams have rewritten the state record books. Cary has won 16 Class 4A dual and individual state team titles, and Winterton has coached 40 individual state champions. In 1997, 2005 and 2007, Cary swept the dual and individual state titles, and this year’s team finished the season ranked No. 25 nationally by W.I.N. magazine.

Winterton has coached his teams to more tournament titles – 146 – than any other coach in American high school wrestling history. His teams have posted 24 unbeaten regular seasons, and his overall record is 517-15 at Cary and 539-33 in his career. Winterton was elected to the Cary High School Hall of Fame in 1995 and the North Carolina wing of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Oklahoma in 2004.

Since being honored in 2007, Winterton has continued to lead Cary to success until his retirement in 2010.  He finished with a career record of 630-17 over his 29 year career. He has coach 44 individual state champions and 32 High School All Americans. He led Cary to 28 straight conference titles.

Upon his retirement Winterton continued to be a part of the team. He was the assistant coach for 11 years until 2020 when he took back  the team as the head coach.

Records

Career Record of 630-17

Coached 42 Individual State Champs

Professional Achievements

2017 National High School Hall of Fame Inductee

2009 NWCA National Coach of the Year

2004 North Carolina National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Biography

Polz recently completed his 18th season as a head coach, and his 14th at Carl Sandburg. This season, he led the Eagles to a 33-0 record and their second consecutive Class AA dual-team state championship. In the individual state tournament Polz coached three state champions and five Eagles advanced to the finals, a Class AA record.

Carl Sandburg currently boasts a 51-match winning streak over two seasons, and Polz’s last four teams have a combined record of 103-3 and have been unbeaten in the regular season against Illinois opponents. Polz also coached at New Lenox Providence High for four seasons, leading the Celtics to the 1989 Class AA title and a runner-up finish in 1990. His career dual-meet record is 400-45 and he has coached 13 individual state champions and 45 placewinners.

Since being honored in 2006, Polz’ team won another state championship in 2007. He retired shortly after but has stayed on as an assistant coach, a position he still holds.

In 2017 Polz was honored as the IWCOA Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.

Professional Achievements

2017 IWCOA Lifetime Achievement Award

1999 Illinois Wrestling and Officials Association Hall of Fame Inductee

Biography

Hall has built his alma mater, Davison High, into not only a state, but a national power. This year the Cardinals won their fourth consecutive Division I dual-team state title, and fifth in the past six years. His last three teams have finished in W.I.N. Magazine’s top 15 nationally, and three of his wrestlers, Paul Donahoe and brothers Chase and Brent Metcalf, have been voted Asics All-American First Team members.

A two-time state champion himself, Hall was a Junior National Greco-Roman champion, seventh in the Junior World Championships, and a four-time NCAA qualifier at Michigan State University. In the past six years he has coached 13 Division I state champions and 41 place winners.

Since being honored, Hall continues to lead Davison as one of Michigan’s elite programs. In 2008 Hall announced he would be stepping down but when there was no suitable replacement, he stayed on and the rest is history.

In his 22 years as head coach the Cardinals have six state championships and five state runner up finishes under his belt. He has a career record of 539-98-1 as of the completion of the 2019 season.

Records

Coached team to 6 State Championships and 5 Runner Up finishes

Career Record of 539-98-1 (1998-2019)

Professional Achievements

2018 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

2009 Greater Flint Area Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

2x Michigan Coach of the Year

Biography

Urbas had big shoes to fill when he replaced the legendary coach Howard Ferguson as coach of the top wrestling program in Ohio and one of the best in the nation. Known for his tireless efforts to advance all of the wrestlers on to college, Urbas led St. Edward’s to its second straight Division I state title and, with a 17-0 record, a second unofficial national championship in seven years in 1999.

After being honored, he led St. Edward’s for the next 29 years and continued their state and national dominance. Urbas lead St. Ed’s to 24 State Championships, 24 District titles, and 29 Sectional titles during his tenure. The Eagles won 13 straight Ohio Division I State Championships from 1997 until 2009.  In addition, he lead them to 4 National Championships.

March of 2018 marked the 35th year that St. Edward’s High School produced at least one NCAA All American, when Dominic Abounader, 2012 Senior National Champ, advanced to the semi finals.

Urbas’ wrestling alumni have gone onto great things including a handful of Olympians, careers in UFC/MMA, and even an Iron Chef.

In 2019, Urbas was honored as part of the inaugural class by receiving the St. Edward’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This special recognition was created to honor Coach Urbas’s outstanding leadership and dedication to students while modeling Holy Cross values.

Records

Coached 24 State Championship Teams

Coached 4 National Title winning Teams

Coached 76 Individual State Champions

Professional Achievements

2018 Greater Cleveland Hall of Fame Inductee

Personal Honors

2019 St. Edward's Lifetime Achievement Award honoree

Biography

Rohn was named Coach of the Year in 1999 for leading the Konkrete Kids to their fourth Class AAA state title of the 1990 ‘s. The unofficial national champions in 1993, Northampton finished this season with the # 5 national ranking.

Don Rohn was an incredibly gifted wrestler in his own right. Rohn was Hellertown High School’s first state champ in 1970.  In 1971, Hellertown became Saucon Valley High School.  In 1971, he became their first state champion.  Rohn was a NCAA National Champion his freshman year at Clarion. He then suffered an injury to his hand that changed his course on the wrestling map,  but did go on to be an All American twice more with a 3rd and 6th place finish in his Junior and Senior year respectively.

After college, Rohn was the coach at Hazelton High School where he had a record of 83-16 in five years. In 1982, he came back to “the Valley” and took over the reigns at Northampton High School and the rest is history.

Rohn led Northampton to national prominence. The Koncete Kids topped the rankings for the majority of the 1990’s until 2000 when Rohn resigned from Northampton after leading the KKids to another District XI title, a Northeast Region title, and both a PIAA Dual and Individual State Championship (team), finishing with one champion, two runners- up (one being his son Tommy) and 5 other place finishers.

Rohn could not sit in the bleachers very long. After amassing nearly 400 wins in his career, he took on his next role as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Saucon Valley,  in 2011, where he sits next to his son Tommy.

Rohn continues to aid the Panthers, who most recently placed fourth at the PIAA AA Team Dual State Championships in March of 2020.

Records

Career Record of 392-75

Coached the team to a "mythical" National Championship in 1993 and 1994

Coached 5x public school National Championship teams

Professional Achievements

Inducted into Northampton High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007

Inducted into Saucon Valley High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2012

3x Pennsylvania Coach of the Year honoree

Personal Honors

1973 NCAA National Champion

3x NCAA All American

2x PA State Champion

Biography

In wrestling, Terry Daubert’s Northampton, Pennsylvania grapplers repeated as the Keystone State AAA state champions and qualified a record 11-team members to the state finals. The team finished with three individual state champions and 10 total medalists, while Daubert’s high school coaching record improved to 78-8.

As an NHSCA national coach honoree, Daubert exemplifies the manner in which a dedicated coach can succeed at any level, as his junior high squads held a 117-7 record prior to his moving onto the prep level.

Daubert took over the Konkrete Kids program from legendary coach and 1998 NHSCA Coach of the Year, Don Rohn. Since his honoring in 2004, Duabert continued the success of the program until his retirement in 2011.

Over eleven years, Daubert led Northampton to two PIAA AAA Team State Titles and coached 10 individual PIAA AAA State Champs.

Records

Coached 10 PIAA AAA State Champions

Coached 2 PIAA AAA State Championship Teams

Professional Achievements

2010 District 11 Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

2012 Northampton Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

Biography

“Jeff Jordan has built a program at St. Paris Graham that competes with the best in the nation year after year,” said NHSCA executive director Bob Ferraro. “The NHSCA is proud to honor Coach Jordan as the National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year.”

Jordan became the head coach in 2002 and coached the Graham Falcons to a third straight Division 2 Ohio State Tournament championship, this time by a margin of more than 100 points. Graham also won the state’s dual meet title in Division 2 in 2003. Nationally, Jordan’s squad was ranked among the elite in the nation from season’s start to finish, and placed third at the prestigious Beast of the East Tournament and second in the Walsh Iron Man Invitational. Jordan, who won four individual Ohio state championships of his own while wrestling for Graham in the early 1980’s, has turned his alma mater into one of the nation’s most respected programs.

Since his honoring in 2003, Jordan and his teams continued to rack in the accolades. Overall, Jordan coached 86 State Champions and 105 Medalists. Twenty-eight of his wrestlers went on to earn NCAA All American honors.  As a team, the were deemed the National Champions in 2008, 2010 and 2015.

Jeff announced his retirement in 2018.   His last duty as a coach was coaching his son, Rocky, to a state championship and the team to be champions over perennial powerhouse, St. Ed’s. What a great way to end an illustrious career.

Professional Achievements

1996 Ohio High School Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

2x NWCA Coach of the Year in 2005 & 2009

2014 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Lifetime Service Award

2016 Ohio National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

2018 GMVWA Hall of Fame Inductee

Biography

Jim Jackson is only the second head coach in the 26-year history of Apple Valley High’s fabulously successful wrestling program. Jackson has been part of the Eagles’ coaching staff for 22 of those 26 years.

After 10 years as an assistant, he became co-head coach of the Eagles in 1991, serving alongside his mentor Bill Demaray, who started the program when the school opened in 1976. Demaray coached his teams to six big-class Minnesota dual state titles. Jackson was part of three of those teams as a co-head coach, in 1991, 1994, and 1995. When Demaray stepped down after the 1995 season, after 20 years at the helm, Jackson became the head coach and had maintained the Eagles’ position at the top of Minnesota high school wrestling until his departure in 2012. Upon his retirement, he had the highest winning percentage (95.8 percent) in the history of Minnesota wrestling, with a record of 619-26-3.

During his 17 years coaching at Apple Valley Jackson won 2 National Championships, 14 Team State Championships, and had 60 Individual State Champs.

In 2015 Jackson took over the reigns at Shakopee High School.  Jackson and Sabers are moving in the right direction in the state of Minnesota.

Records

Career Record of 619-26-3 at Apple Valley

Professional Achievements

2001 Wrestling USA Magazine Coach of the Year

Biography

After leading Bakersfield High to 4 top-10 finishes in the single-class California state tournament over the previous seven seasons, David East watched his Drillers rewrite the California record books in year (2002).

A month ago, Bakersfield scored 226.5 points in the state tournament, winning the state title by 125 points. Nine Bakersfield wrestlers finished in the top six, seven advanced to the finals, and four were crowned champions. All are California state records. Bakersfield was ranked No. 5 in the nation this season. In addition, one of East’s four state champions, 125-pounder Darrell Vasquez, became the first four-time state champion in the history of California high school wrestling. There was a very promising freshman who placed 4th named Jake Varner.  Varner would go on to win the Gold Medal at the 2012 Olympics.

East is retiring from coaching this year after 27 years, 24 as a head coach. A graduate of Bakersfield High and Cal-State Bakersfield, where he was a member of the school’s first Division II national championship team. He was head coach for five years at Maricopa High and four years at West Bakersfield High before coming to Bakersfield High.

After three years as an assistant to Steve Varner, East became head coach in 1988 and led the Drillers to 14 consecutive league titles. In addition to this year’s state title, his teams finished second in the state in 2001 and third in 1995. He coached at least one state place winner in each of his final nine seasons and overall he coached 31 state place winners and seven state champions. His teams were undefeated in dual meets his final two seasons, and his career record was 204-12.

Records

Career Record of 204-12

Coached 35 State Titles

Professional Achievements

2012 California Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee

Biography

Jeff Jordan completed his eighth season as head coach at Clarksville High School this year (2001).

In 2000, he coached the Wildcats to the state’s Division I dual and individual team titles, a feat never previously accomplished by a school outside the Nashville or greater Chattanooga areas, and finished second in the state duals and third in the state individual tournament this year. Prior to coaching at Clarksville, Jordan coached for 8 years at Franklin High, serving as the school’s head coach from 1984-1989.

His 1989 Franklin team won the individual state championship, at that time becoming the first public school outside the Chattanooga to win a state title, and was the state dual runner up. His Franklin teams were 78-11-1, for an overall record of 284-41-1. Jordan is one of only two coaches in Tennessee history to coach two different teams to state titles.

He also coached 7 individual state champions and one NHSCA Senior All American. Jordan accomplished this success with four-year wrestlers who never wrestled prior to high school.

That retirement didn’t last long. In 2012, Jordan left the mat behind but managed to make his way to the soccer field. As the head coach of the girls’ soccer team, he led them to the school’s first state appearance.

Records

Career Record of 284-41-1

Coached 7 Individual State Champions

Biography

In nine seasons as Wilson High School’s head coach, Dave Crowell has elevated the Warriors to one of Pennsylvania’s AA powers on a year-to-year basis. This year Wilson Area enjoyed one of their best seasons ever. The Warriors piled up a 19-1-1 record in dual meets, winning the Class AA dual state title and finishing fourth in the individual state tournament.

Early in the 2000 season, Wilson Area took on two of the Lehigh Valley’s Class AAA powers, scoring a big 37-19 victory over Nazareth before cross-town rival Easton High handed them their only loss this season, a 29-21 defeat. Crowell was the head coach at Easton High prior to coming to Wilson Area from 1977-1984, after spending the 1976-77 season as the assistant.

The 19-1-1 record was the second best in school history. Crowell’s career record at Wilson Area stands at 135-39-1. He became the all time leader in victories among the 9 head coaches in Wilson history.

After the 2002-03 season, Crowell resigned his post and took over as the head coach of Nazareth High School. In the next step of his journey he’s led Nazareth to national prominence.

Throughout his career Crowell has led his teams to 7 PIAA Individual State Team Championships, 3 PIAA State Dual Team Championships, 8 District XI Team Titles, 10 District XI Individual Team Titles, and 13 League Championships as of the end of the 2019 season. He has also coached 22 State Champions, 44 State Finalists, and 95 State Place Winners. Nazareth had boasted a State Finalist for 16 consecutive years until 2020.

Crowell is the only wrestling coach in the state to coach a state champion and win at least one PIAA State Individual Tournament championship at three different high schools – Easton, Wilson, and Nazareth respectively. He’s also the first to be voted the PA Coach of the Year in AA and AAA.

Most recently, Crowell’s Blue Eagles won the 2020 PIAA AAA Team Duals with a 38-21 victory over Waynesburg Central for second time in four years. Crowell was also named the Morning Call’s Coach of the Year. Crowell has complied 550 career victories after this season.

Records

Career Record of 550-138-1

Coached teams to 3 PIAA AAA Duals State Championships

Professional Achievements

7x Pennsylvania Coach of the Year

National Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee in 2014

Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee of 2016

NWCA Coach of the Year in 2007

Biography

Coaching in a small school has its rewards and long-time Aztec High coach Herb Stinson has had his share of them. In his 22nd and final season as Aztec’s head wrestling coach (he was on the staff for 26 years), Stinson won his 11th consecutive Class A-3A state title and the 12th of his career. He is one of only four coaches to win his state’s championship every year during the decade of the 1990s.

Aztec also finished 25-1 in dual meets this year, giving him a final career record of 535-92-5. Stinson accomplished all this as a three-sport coach with three-sport athletes. He serves as defensive coordinator for a football team which has reached the state playoffs 10 consecutive years, and also coaches baseball.

Stinson has been recognized on several occasions for his coaching excellence. He has been awarded National High School Coach of the Year honors in 1991 and 1995, and was elected to the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1998. His teams are listed six times in the national record book and hold two national records: His 1993 team won its 21 dual meets by an average of more than 63 points and his teams have won 122 tournament titles, including eight this year.

Over his career, Stinson coached 208 individual State Place winners, 19 All Americans and 12 Academic All Americans.

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Community Service

Stinson founded the Aztec Municipal Schools Hall of Fame. He was also a board member of the New Mexico Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Founding Chairman of the Board for the Aztec Wrestling Program Building Committee.

Records

Career Record of 535-92-5

Professional Achievements

Inducted into the New Mexico High School Coaches Association Hall of Honor in 1998

Named USA Wrestling USA Magazine Coach-of-the-Year in 1991

National High School Coach of the Year honors in 1991,1995 & 2000

Personal Honors

Honored as “Citizen of the Year” by Aztec, NM in 2018

Biography

Scott Legacy has maintained Mount Anthony Union’s place as the top wrestling program in New England. Legacy has led Mount Anthony to 12 consecutive state team titles, and under his leadership, Mount Anthony was one of just four schools nationwide to win its state tournament every year during the decade of the 1990s.

During the decade his teams also won three New England championships, in 1993, 1997, and 1999, while finishing second in 1994 and 1996. This year’s team (2000) is favored to earn a fourth New England title. He has had two nationally ranked teams, and this year’s team also occupies a spot in the NHSCA’s Top 50 team ranking.

In 2000 Legacy’s Mount Anthony team finished 21-1-1 in dual meets. His teams regularly travel throughout the East and the Northeast in search of the best competition possible.

Legacy left a legacy at Mt. Anthony in 2014 when he accepted a position at Castleton University. During his time at Mt. Anthony he finished with a career record of 654-35-2, including 8 New England Championships and 8 times as Runners-Up.

Individually he has coached 168 state champions, 28 New England champions, and 84 All-Americans through their success in various competitions and selections. Legacy has watched more then 180 of his wrestlers wrestle at the next level.

Legacy is still continuing to build on his legacy.

 

Records

Career Record of 249-24-2

Coached 168 State Champions

Professional Achievements

Named USA Today National Coach of the Year in 2014

New England Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee

Biography

Rhoades capped a storybook season by leading Bald Eagle area to the state’s first AAA Dual State Title – winning 53-0 in the final. This was BEA’s first ever individual state title over six other nationally ranked teams.

The 1998-99 team won the PIAA Dual and Individual Tournament team titles, won the Beast of the East (the only public school at the time to do so) and was named the No. 1 team in the country.

Rhoades also was voted Class AAA Coach of the Year in Pennsylvania in 1999. He also was a six- time District 6 Coach of the Year. Rhoades continued to coach at BEA until his retirement in 2002.

Over his 30 year coaching career, he led his teams to a career record of 399-129-10, including his time at Fabius.

Records

Career Record of 399-129-10

Coached 5 Individual State Champs

Professional Achievements

1999 USA Magazine's National Coach of the Year

2x PIAA Coach of the Year

1997 Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee

14x District 6 Coach of the Year

Biography

Marzuola’s Highland Park team set high standards in wrestling’s first year as a state association-sanctioned sport in Texas, winning the state dual and individual championships. His teams have gone 64-0 over the past two seasons (’98 and ’99) in winning back to back dual titles, including 33-0 this season by an average winning margin of 66 points, a national record.

Marzuola’s journey at Highland Park High School started in 1982 when he came to teach social studies, coach football and start a wrestling program. No one knew the legacy he’d create.

Marzuola stepped away from Highland Park and coaching in 2007 after 25 years to accept a position at Summerville High School in Charleston, South Carolina. After six years, Marzuola returned to HPHS in 2013 to take the lead once again.

Records

Career Record of 498-106-2

Professional Achievements

2005 Texas Coach of the Year

National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Texas Chapter in 2004

Biography

Healy led Providence Catholic to its third consecutive AA dual title, only the third team in Illinois history ever to accomplish that feat. He continued to lead Providence to six consecutive titles from 1997 to 2002.

He also has coached 17 individual state place winners and 4 champions. He is a highly decorated coach,  holding many records in the IHSA.

Healy finished his 26-year career as the Celtics coach with a 557-125-3 dual meet record. after his team took third place in the Class 3A dual team state finals in 2018.

During his tenure, the Celtics captured six state titles, three second-place finishes, four thirds and a fourth place in 14 state appearances. That would be 14 medals in 14 appearances, quite a feat.

As a wrestler himself, Healy was a two-time NCAA qualifier at the University of Illinois.

Records

Career Record of 557-125-3

Coached 6 State Championship Teams

Claimed 14 medals in 14 State Appearances

Professional Achievements

2006 IWCOA Hall of Fame Inductee

2014 Providence High School Hall of Fame Inductee

2017 NHSACA Coach of the Year

Biography

Benitz led Lincoln High to its fifth consecutive Division I dual title, only the second team in Wisconsin to ever accomplish that feat and the first since 1954. Since he became head coach in 1966, Benitz has coached Wisconsin Rapids to 10 state team titles, more than any other school, and his 464-77-2 record makes him the state’s all-time winningest coach. He also coached his 20th individual state champion this season.

In all, Benitz coached 16 teams to a WIAA State Championships and 34 WIAA State Champions. He boasts a career record of  689-62-2, which ranks him 5th nationally.  Benitz hung up his clipboard in 2001, when he was succeeded by his son Scott at Rapids.

Benitz was also involved in the creation of WWF State Kids program which hosts kids and cadet tournaments. He and his wife are also owners of Wisconsin Resilite.

Records

Career Record of 689-62-2

Coaches 16 State Championship teams

Coached 34 Individual State Champs

Professional Achievements

1987 Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee

2007 National Federation of State High School Associations Hall of Fame

Biography

Wayne’s teams have been among California’s best year after year. Despite the loss of a state place winner to a late season injury, Poway finished a strong third place in their state tournament this year and posted a #17 final national ranking, its third in seven years.

Branstetter took over the reigns in 1978 and led the Titans until 2018 when he hung up those reigns for a fishing rod.

After a 45 year career, including 40 at Poway, Branstetter had alot to boast about, including coach 17 state champions. He coached his team to 28 top-five finishes at the big dance, 10 3rd place finishes, 6 state 2nd place and 4 Team State titles (1986, 1999, 2005 & 2009).

Records

Career Dual Meet Record of 471-6-2

Professional Achievements

Coached 17 Individual State Champions

Led team to 4 State Championships