My memories of Penn State and Penn State wrestling are some of the fondest memories I have. Some of my best and closest friends, George Edwards, Marty Strayer, Mark Piven, Rich Lorenzo, Dick Dewalt, Jerry Seaman, were teammates. We visit and communicate regularly. I have stayed connected and close to wrestling as the head coach at Binghamton University for 22 years and as an athletic administrator at Binghamton University, Muhlenberg College, and currently Cornell University. I have also served on the NCAA Wrestling Committee and the NWCA Board of Directors. Wrestling remains a big part of my life, and much of what I have learned and the values I hold dear have come from the sport of wrestling.
As a member and co-captain, with Marty Strayer, of Coach Koll’s first Penn State team, I have great memories of that senior season. Coach Koll was a stark change from Doc Speidel, for sure. I am grateful to have had one year under Coach Koll’s leadership, and it was his methods and teachings that I took with me into my own coaching career. Ironically, today I work day in and day out at Cornell with Coach Koll’s youngest son, Rob. That apple did not fall far from that tree.
100 years of wrestling is a terrific milestone. I am very glad to have been a part of some of those years.
