WRESTLING COACH

Head Coach: Don Murray

DON MURRAY completed his 38th year as the Head Wrestling Coach at The College at Brockport. Since taking over the team in 1970, the wrestling program has been among the elite in all of college wrestling. In 2007-08 Murray recorded his 282nd career dual meet victory and has led the Golden Eagles to a winning record in each of his 38 years at the helm. Brockport has a string of 46 straight winning seasons, second only to Oklahoma State’s 48.

Under Murray, the Golden Eagles have captured five national championships in Division III (1977, ’80, ’82, ’83, ’92), 27 SUNYAC championships, three New York State titles, one National Duals title, and nine Empire Collegiate Wrestling Conference Championships. In 1998-99, Murray joined legendary Iowa coach Dan Gable as two of the three coaches to have coached 100 or more All-Americans at the collegiate level (131).

Murray has received numerous individual honors to go along with the fantastic team achievements. Most recently in 2007, he was honored by USA Wrestling as the 2007 Person of the Year. In 1992, while in the midst of leading the Golden Eagles to their fifth national title, Murray was named to the New York State and NCAA Division III Coaches Hall of Fame. He has been named the SUNYAC/Empire Coach of the Year (1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1991, 2003), New York State Wrestling Coach of the Year (1980, 1983, 2000), and National Division III Coach of the Year (1980, 1992). In 1980, he also was named AAU Man of the Year, given to the person contributing the most to wrestling at the national and international levels. In 1992, Murray was inducted into the NCAA Division III Hall of Fame.

In 1975, Murray was the head coach of the U.S. Junior World Team that competed in the international championships in Bulgaria, and in the summer of 1990 he coached USA Wrestling’s Tour de Monde team at the first Grand Prix Tournament in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Murray also has served as an assistant on three different U.S. Senior World Teams that traveled to the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Mexico.

As chief of the delegation to the Junior World Championships in Vancouver, Murray has been to Norway as team leader for the Senior World Greco-Roman team, and coached the East team in the Annual East-West All-Star Meet in 1984 and 1993.

In the summer of 1998, Murray was the U.S. Team Leader at the Sixth World Junior Greco-Roman Championships in Cairo, Egypt. The day after he returned from Egypt, Murray was inducted into the Frontier Field Walk of Fame as an outstanding contributor to the Rochester sports scene. Also in the summer of 1998, Murray was named the Junior (wrestlers under 20) Person of the Year by USA Wrestling.

Murray’s involvement in international wrestling allowed the College to hold the National Training Camp for both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers for the ’76 Olympics. Three times the U.S. Senior World and Junior World Championships have been held at SUNY Brockport. Both in ’76 and ’80, the final wrestle-offs for the freestyle and Greco-Roman Olympic teams were held at the College. In 1992, 1996 and again in the spring of 2002, Brockport hosted the East Regional Olympic Trials.

Following the 2007-08 season, The College at Brockport All-American list stands at 131 as Shaheim Bradshaw who won his fourth All-American award with a third place finish at the NCAA Championships finishing his career with the green and gold.

• The Golden Eagles have captured five national championships in Division III (1977, '80, '82, '83, '92), 23 SUNYAC championships, three New York State titles, and eight Empire Conference Qualifiers.
• Murray has received numerous individual honors to go along with the fantastic team achievements. In 1992, in the midst of leading the Golden Eagles to their fifth national title, he was named to the New York State and NCAA Division III Coaches Halls of Fame.
• He has been named the SUNYAC/Empire Coach of the Year (1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1991, 2003), New York State Wrestling Coach of the Year (1980, 1983, 2000), and National Division III Coach of the Year (1980, 1992).
• In 2007, he was named USA Wrestling's Person of the Year.
• In 1980, he also was named AAU Man of the Year, given to the person contributing the most to national and international wrestling.
• In 1975, Murray was the head coach of the US Junior World Team that competed in the international championships in Bulgaria, and in the summer of 1990 he coached USA Wrestling's Tour de Monde team at the first Grand Prix Tournament in Prague, Czechoslovakia.
• Murray also has served as an assistant on three different US Senior World Teams that traveled to the Soviet Union, Turkey, and Mexico.
• Chief of the delegation to the Junior World Championships in Vancouver, Murray has been to Norway as team leader for the Senior World Greco-Roman team, and coached the East team in the Annual East-West All-star Meet in 1984 and 1993.
• Murray's involvement in international wrestling allowed the College to hold the National Training Camp for both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers for the '76 Olympics.
• Three times the US Senior World and Junior World Championships have been held at Brockport. Both in '76 and '80, the final wrestle-offs for the freestyle and Greco-Roman Olympic teams were held at the College. In 1992, 1996, and 2000 Brockport hosted the East Regional Olympic Trials.
• On campus, Murray has received an Outstanding Service to the College Award for his academic work with student-athletes and for his high graduation rate. He also has received a Brockport Student Government Award and been honored with two Faculty Senate proclamations for excellence.
• One of Murray's greatest strengths as a coach is his ability to work with his wrestlers. Along with 26 national champions, Murray has coached 131 of the 133 All-Americans at Brockport.
• In 1998, Murray was named USA Wrestling Junior Person of the Year, which recognizes a leader for contributions to wrestling at the Junior level.
• In 1998, Murray was the team leader for the 1998 USA Wrestling Junior Division Team that traveled Cairo, Egypt to compete in the FILA Junior World Greco Championships.

WRESTLING COACHES AT BROCKPORT

ASSISTANT COACHES, CONSULTANTS & ADVISORS

JOE BOONE, a two-time All American at the University of Oklahoma, will lend his expertise for his seventh year on the staff. He is the Transition Specialist for Gloucester Public Schools in Virginia. As a wrestler, Joe was a three-time State Champion at Granby High School in Virginia, a three-year starter at Oklahoma, and was captain of both his high school and college teams. He was the head coach at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and the Oklahoma Wrestling Club Coach at Oklahoma University. We are honored to have Joe on our staff. His technique clinics are invaluable to the program.

ANDY CORBETT, a four-year starter for the Golden Eagles in the ’90s, is teaching math and coaching wrestling in Auburn. He will serve as a consultant again this year after having been involved in our program as a coach for many years. He knows the Brockport system thoroughly, and works hard to develop drills for our team. Andy has been to nationals himself as a two-time National Qualifier for the Eagles. Coach Murray has credited him as a young man of fine character and a great role model for our young athletes. In 2003 he was presented with the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

SALVADORE CRUZ was an NCAA All-American in 2003 at 125 pounds. He is now in his fourth year on the SUNY Brockport staff as a graduate assistant coach. He was a three-year starter and a two-time National Qualifier for the Golden Eagles. In addition, Sal was a two-time Conference finalist, a two-time Collegiate All-State wrestler and was a State finalist. This Physical Education and Health Science major brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge to our coaching staff, and will work hands-on with our lightweights.

JOHN JOHNSON, a former youth wrestling coach in the region joins the SUNY Brockport staff in 2007. The graduate of Livonia High School and Alfred State Technical College has worked in the computer and engineering fields after serving four years in the United States Air Force. Johnson has coached youth wrestlers in the Geneseo area and also volunteers as a member of the Geneseo Kiwanis Club, the VFW and the Boy Scouts of America.

TOM KRESSLY joins the SUNY Brockport Wrestling staff in 2007 after a successful career as the head wrestling coach at Hammondsport Central School. For the past 11 years, Kressly has also served as the school’s Athletic Director. Kressly taught science courses at the secondary level at Hammondsport for the past 38 years and was the wrestling coach for 23 seasons, leading the teams to over a .500 record. He has acted as the Tournament Director for the Canoe Landing Tournament for 18 years and served as the Steuben County Wrestling Coordinator for 12 years. His wrestlers at Hammondsport won 17 individual Class D Sectional Championships and he coached one All-Greater Rochester wrestler. Kressly also coached the Boy’s Track & Field squad at Hammondsport.

PETE LAWRENCE has been on our staff for many years. He has been appointed a US Federal Marshall and is serving in Western New York. Pete is a great role model, and Brockport is proud of him.

JOHN LEONE, a four-time All-American and a National Champion at Brockport, was the recipient of the 1999 National Wrestling Coaches Association award as the National High School Assistant Coach of the Year. He has been the coach of the New York team for the Junior Nationals and was an assistant coach of the USA Freestyle team at the Junior World Championships. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2000 and was a 1999 Golden Eagle Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. He was the ’97 USA Wrestling National Developmental Coach of the Year and is currently the head coach at Penfield High School. Starting in 2007, Leone has organized the USA Wrestling Beach Wrestling National Tournament at Charlotte Beach in Rochester each July. John has proven to be one of the finest technicians and coaches in America and his contributions to Brockport’s program are invaluable.

MICHAEL NEW, the former head coach at Princeton University joins the SUNY Brockport staff in 2007. New worked to rebuild the Tiger wrestling program beginning in 1997 after the program was dropped four years earlier. He has also worked with several different colleges and universities to develop new wrestling programs or reinstate wrestling programs at the schools. Prior to coming to Brockport, New was the head wrestling coach and assistant football coach at Lawrenceville High School in New Jersey. He also acted as assistant wrestling coach at Cornell University after a wrestling career that included a New York State Championship and the Cornell Athlete of the Year Award in 1992.

DALE OLIVER returns to the staff for his eighth year in the program. Dale was an eleven-time Greco-Roman All-American and a member of the USA World Team. He teaches Physical Education in Marion, New York, and is currently a member of the USA Greco-Roman National Coaching Staff. He worked with our Olympic Team in Colorado Springs in 2004, and his knowledge of upper-body technique and match preparation methods will be invaluable to our team.

FRANK PALUMBO returns to our staff for his fifth season after teaching and coaching on Long Island after graduating from SUNY Brockport. As a Golden Eagle wrestler, Frank was a three-time All-American and a National Champion in 2001. Frank was a two-time Conference champion and All-State wrestler for Brockport. This graduate assistant is a certified Physical Education teacher and is working on his Masters Degree in Health. His coaching background as a high school coach, and as a Cadet National Team coach in ’02 and ’03, brings experience and leadership to our staff.

WALT PETERSON enters his sixth season as assistant coach. He was inducted into the New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on September 16, 2007. After a 31-year career at Avoca Central School, he retired in 1997. During his tenure at Avoca, Walt’s teams were noted for their discipline, sportsmanship and skill development. Additionally, he served as Section V’s Class “C” and “D” chairman for 22 years. In 1998, Walt was inducted into the Section V Wrestling Hall of Fame and enters his 42nd year as a wrestling coach.

NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME HONORED MEMBERS

• Don Murray '69, Inducted 1992
• Frank Famiano '83, Inducted 1993
• Ron Winnie '83, Inducted 1993
• John Leone '88, Inducted 2000

• Walt Peterson, Inducted 2007
• Jack Mahoney, '70, Inducted 2005
• Walt Teike, '58, Inducted 2003
• Bill Linkner '61, Inducted 2000
• Art Connorton '57, Inducted 1999