Class of 2017

Arlington High School and Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Don began wrestling as a 6th grader at Minor Junior High in Arlington Heights. He is a 1970 Arlington High School graduate, going 31-1 as a senior with 22 pins, while placing 3rd in the IHSA State Tournament.

Don is a 1974 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. He was a three time NCAA Division 1 Qualifier, placing 5th in the National Tournament at 167 in 1973. In the 1976 OIympic year he placed 3rd in the National Freestyle Tournament, and 3rd in the National Greco-Roman tournament.

He began teaching and coaching wrestling for two years beginning in 1975 as an assistant coach at Bloomington High School. He took a job at Crystal Lake for two years in 1977. He became the head coach at the new Crystal Lake South in 1979, a position he held for 23 years where he had a 316-152 record, coaching 21 State Qualifiers and 5 All-State wrestlers. His teams won 2 Regional titles.

Following his head coaching career at Crystal Lake South, Don coached 4 more years as an assistant, one at Crystal Lake South, one at Jacobs, and two at Prairie Ridge for a total of 31 years of coaching. Following his retirement from teaching and coaching, Don has been involved in Personal Training.

Don and Debbie, his wife of 43 years have 3 children; Matthew (33), Michael (30), and Katie (28), along with 4 grandchildren.