Heidelberg University Athletics

Wrestling is more than a sport to Joe. It is a life-long passion to which he has dedicated over 50 years as an athlete, coach, and official and what propelled him to Heidelberg. 

Joe was recruited to the Berg following an outstanding wrestling career for the T.W. Harvey High School Red Raiders in his hometown of Painesville, Ohio. For the then Heidelberg College, he grappled his way to the 1970 NCAA Championships and graduated with a double major in political science and education.

He joined the coaching staff at Mentor High School in 1974 and took over head duties in 1981. Joe taught history and government while amassing a 217-61-7 record as head coach for the Cardinals — earning recognition from the National Wrestling Coaches Association for his 200th win.

In 1999, Joe left Mentor to help coach his son, Joe, through his senior year with the Red Raiders. He then followed younger Joe back to the Berg, where he stayed for 12 years as a volunteer assistant coach. Over his tenure, Big Joe, as his family affectionately calls him, helped Heidelberg win 10 Ohio Athletic Conference championships and coached 25 OAC champions, 40 national qualifiers, nine all-Americans and one national champion. He finally left his shoes on the mat in 2015 and was inducted into the Ohio Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2022.

Outside of the sport, Joe earned a master’s degree in urban planning from Cleveland State University. He was first elected as an at-large councilperson for the City of Painesville in 1982 and served eight terms. While on council, he was voted Council President several times and chaired the Economic Development Committee. Joe and his wife of over 45 years, Mary, who herself spent over 20 years on the School Board for the Painesville City Local School District, were named the Eastern Lake County Citizens of the Year in 2016. The couple still resides in Painesville.

Joe will tell you, however, that his most significant source of pride is his family. Joe and Mary have three children, all fellow ’Berg graduates. Their daughter Betsy, ’01, whom Joe was fortunate to call his colleague during her tenure as the most successful softball coach in Heidelberg history (2009-16), carries on the torch as an educator and coach. Their son Joe, ’04, continues a legacy of public service as a criminal defense attorney/part-time prosecutor and as a devoted father to Jaxon and Alexis. Lastly, their youngest daughter, Julia, ’07, ’10, shares a dedication to the community by serving on various non-profit boards and donating her time to local youth sports.


This profile was written by Joe’s daughter, Julia. It appeared in the Hall of Fame Induction Program.