ROAD TO # 400 ENDS WRESTLING SEASON
ox Chapel Area FOX CHAPEL AREA SCHOOL NEWS
Wrestling Coach Ron Frank celebrates his 400 th win on February 15 with family, friends, and his wrestlers.
ROAD TO # 400 ENDS WRESTLING SEASON
Thirty-eight years ago, Fox Chapel Area High School art teacher Ron Frank became a wrestling coach in the district. At that time, he never could have imagined that on February 15, 2017, he’ d earn his 400 th career victory and become one of the best‐ever wrestling coaches.
Coach Frank is the first to admit he wasn’ t an expert by any stretch of the imagination when he started out. But he was a quick learner, an eager student, and possessed a work ethic that has served him well throughout life.
Now, as one of the most respected coaches in the sport, Coach Frank just added to his already long list of credentials with his 400 th win, which also distinguishes him as third among the WPIAL’ s all-time winning wrestling coaches. It’ s an achievement that eclipses those of some of his heroes when he first began coaching – the legendary Gus DeAugustino from North Allegheny High School, Bob Siar Sr. from Shaler Area High School, and Ken Lockey from Seneca Valley High School.
“ They were great people that took the time to help a young coach,” says Coach Frank.“ They taught me – as did two of my own teachers and coaches, Larry Mannion, who is the reason why I am a coach, and Fred DeGroot, who influenced me to be an art teacher – to never stop chasing your goals and that hard work can overcome your shortcomings, of which I have many. I was never the smartest, fastest, or strongest, so inheriting my mother’ s work ethic was essential to any accomplishment.”
Regardless of where Coach Frank thinks he falls short, Fox Chapel Area School District’ s director of athletics sees it differently.
“ In my 12-year tenure at Fox Chapel Area, it’ s been my pleasure to watch Coach Frank and how he interacts with his athletes and students,” says Michael O’ Brien.“ It’ s amazing how many kids come back in their later years to still be part of the program. I believe that is a true testament to the impact he’ s had upon his students. He is certainly deserving of his 400 career victories, and I couldn’ t be more proud of him and our wrestling program.”
Paying It Forward
Just as those coaches took him under their wing years ago, Coach Frank has always tried to pay forward the kindness he was shown. Although he might have a gruff exterior and an old-school approach to life, he has a heart of gold when it comes to his family, his wrestlers and their families
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( both past and present), and the many students who cite his jewelry‐making class as their favorite.
“ Some people might find it hard to believe, but I get as much pleasure in seeing a great jewelry project each morning as I do a wrestling win at night,” says the father of three grown boys, Patrick, Michael, and Timothy. All three wrestled for him when they were young and throughout high school.
A true teacher-at-heart, Coach Frank is happy about his 400 th win, but people who know him will probably groan when, with his trademark humility, he says,“ Four hundred is just a number. It was great that our four seniors all got their hands raised in victory last night.”
Coach Frank adds,“ We have a wrestling staff that works as a team and we make decisions together to benefit the students.” His staff has been with him for many years and includes Bob Siar Jr., a PIAA champion; Ron’ s sons, Michael, who earned his way to the NCAA Championships, and Tim, a WPIAL champion; and Joe Bursick, a coach with 200 wins.
He notes of himself and his assistant coaches,“ None of us measure our success in match victories, but in how successful the men and women in our program are 20 years after graduation. We have former students that now have families of their own and are carpenters, police officers, engineers, teachers, doctors, stockbrokers, and business owners. Sports is part of the educational experience and mission of the school district, and we are proud that so many of them have earned their degrees from colleges ranging from Community College of Allegheny County to Harvard and Princeton, and everything in between.”
Myriad Honors with More in Store
Coach Frank takes infinite pleasure deflecting from his own achievements, but they are numerous and shouldn’ t be overlooked. He is an inductee of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame, as well as the national and PIAA wrestling halls of fame, yet ironically, he has yet to be inducted into the Fox Chapel Area Schools Sports Hall of Fame. That’ s because only retired coaches are eligible for consideration.
With no signs of slowing down, and already placing his 400 th victory celebration behind him, Coach Frank now is singularly focused on what’ s ahead for the team. As he puts it,“ It really is all about the kids.”