Don Henry is a senior member of the Gannon Athletic Department, entering his 37th season as the head wrestling coach in 2020-21. Henry was hired in 1984 to resurrect a Golden Knight wrestling program that had been discontinued since 1971. Henry’s work ethic and love of wrestling has elevated the Gannon program from its infancy to one that is now one of the best in Division II.
Henry has guided the Gannon program through some of the best seasons in school history during the last 19 campaigns. He has coached 10 regional champions and qualified wrestlers for the national championships 63 times during that time span. As a team, the Golden Knights have recorded top-30 national finishes 18 times during the last 21 years.
While building the Golden Knight program from the ground up, Henry slowly turned the Golden Knights from a program that concentrated on the development of each individual wrestler to being a fully-competitive program in dual competitions and postseason championships. Henry has compiled a 185-142-3 dual record over the last 25 years, including a 151-82-1 mark since the 2000-01 campaign. The Golden Knights have won 66Â percent (107-54-1) of their dual matches during the last 12Â years.
Henry has produced 28 All-Americans who have achieved All-America status a combined 38 times. He has coached 24 regional champions, along with 108 All-Academic wrestlers and 93 national qualifiers. Gannon wrestlers have reached the All-America level 29 times during the last 18 seasons.
Gannon wrestlers to earn All-America honors under Henry’s tutelage include Dom Means (2019-20), Alex Farenchak (2019-20), Freddie Nixon (2019-20), Nick Budd (2016-17), Eric Lewandowski (2016-17), Carmine Ciotti (2016-17), Matt Turek (2012-13, 2013-14), Zach Zelcs (2012-13), Ethan Swope (2011-12), Jose Matos (2010-11), Corey Bowers (2009-10), A.J. Milinak (2009-10), Tony Petrella (2009-10), Frank McGrath (2008-09, 2009-10), Kevin McElhaney (2008-09, 2009-10), Jacob Tazzi (2008-09), Zack McKendree (2007-08, 2010-11), Lyneil Mitchell (2001-02, 2002-03), R.J. Paterniti (2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06), Mike Sanders (2004-05), Brendan Bosko (2001-02), Doug Joseph (2000-01), Todd Proper (1999-01), Lantz Schwabenbauer (1998-99, 2000-01), Tom Boyd (1990-91), Sean Haight (1986-87), Dave Kruszewski (1989-90) and John Oldach (1989-90).
The 37-year veteran also has his team performing in the classroom. Gannon's team grade point average ranked third nationally in 2000-01, fifth in 2011-12, fifth in 2008-09, seventh in 2005-06, seventh in 1999-00, seventh in 2018-19, eighth in 2001-02, 10th in 2006-07, 10th in 2012-13, 13th in 2007-08, 16th in 2016-17, 18th in 2014-15 and 19th in 2015-16. Golden Knight wrestlers have earned a total of 65 Academic All-America honors during the last 12 seasons, including a pair of first-team selections in 2014-15.
Henry was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in March of 2014 at the NCAA Division I National Championships. He was chosen as one of six inductees in the 2014 NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame induction class, representing the highest wrestling honor a student-athlete or coach can receive at the NCAA Division II level. Henry was inducted on the eve of the NCAA Division I National Championships in front of a large Gannon contingent of current and former assistant coaches, administrators and former wrestlers. The induction ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Cleveland, Ohio.
"I am very humbled by the selection to the Hall of Fame," said Henry upon his induction. "This would have been an impossible dream 30 years ago. I have enjoyed all the Hall of Fame dinners that I have attended over the years. There is a common theme among the wrestlers and coaches who have been selected before me. Wrestling is more than a sport. It's a lifestyle. It's the thing that allows people to accomplish the impossible."
Henry joined his second Hall of Fame September 24, 2016 when he was inducted into the Slippery Rock (Pa.) University Athletics Hall of Fame for his standout collegiate wrestling career. He has been named NCAA Division II Super Region One Coach of the Year four times and received the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award twice during his career. The award is presented by the NWCA each year to the outstanding coach in each division who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes. Henry was nominated by his coaching peers and selected by the NWCA Board of Directors.
The 2002-03 season was a special one for Henry as he received the NWCA Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award for the first time. He was recognized and presented with an award at the NWCA Social hosted by the Hyatt Regency at the 2003 NCAA Division I Championships in Kansas City, Missouri.
Gannon sent four wrestlers to the national championships that year, finishing 15th in NCAA Division II. Mitchell finished third at heavyweight and Paterniti finished sixth at 141. Both were named All-Americans.
Henry also received the NWCA Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award in 2011-12, being recognized and presented with an award at the NWCA Social prior to the 2012 NCAA Division I Championships.
Gannon went 10-5 in dual meets during the 2011-12 campaign, tying the second-highest win total in school history. Only the 1996-97 team won more with 11. The Golden Knights secured at least nine wins for the fourth straight season and reached double digits for the second time during a four-year time span. Victories against nationally-ranked Ashland (22-18) and West Liberty (23-19) highlighted the dual schedule.
The season concluded with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One and 27th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
Swope and Zelcs won regional championships at 149 and 184, respectively. The duo joined Buddy Blotzer to form a trio of national qualifiers. Blotzer placed fourth in the regional’s 165-pound bracket after entering unranked. Only regional champion Newberry had more individual champions. Gannon’s great regional performance resulted in Henry being named NCAA Division II Super Regional One Coach of the Year for the third time in his career, including twice in a three-year span.
Swope later became the 20th All-American in school history by placing sixth at 149 during the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championships. He was also named Gannon’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year, becoming the third wrestler to receive the honor.
The fourth NCAA Division II Super Regional One Coach of the Year came last year after guiding Gannon to a second-place finish at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One and placing nine wrestlers in the top five of their respective weight classes. The Golden Knights' six championship semifinalists were their most since at least the 2007-08 season and the team finish was their best since placing second at the 2010 NCAA Division II East Regional.
Henry then led Gannon to a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships, representing the program's best since tying for eighth in 2010. Five Gannon wrestlers qualified for the national championships, representing the program's most since sending six to the 2010 national championships. Ciotti (133), Lewandowski (157) and Budd (Heavyweight) secured All-America honors. It marked the fourth time in program history that three Golden Knights reached All-America status and first time since having five accomplished the feat in 2010. Ciotti went on to be named Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Golden Knight in program history to be named a conference freshman of the year.
Gannon finished the 2016-17 regular-season dual campaign with an 8-2 record under Henry, including a 5-1 mark against teams ranked nationally at the time of competition. The program's eight dual victories were its most since 2013-14. Gannon ended the regular season with five consecutive victories, representing its longest win streak since matching the five-meet streak January 15-21, 2012. The run included victories against No. 8 Mercyhurst, No. 12 Lake Erie and No. 15 Seton Hill.
Henry produced Gannon’s first national champion at the 2001 NCAA Division II National Championships. Joseph made school history by winning the national title at 197. Schwabenbauer placed third at 165 and Proper finished third at heavyweight. As a result, Henry was named NCAA Division II East Region Coach of the Year for the first time.
The NCAA honored Henry with the Division II East Region Coach of the Year for the second time in 2010 when the Golden Knights finished eighth at the NCAA Division II National Championships. It represented the second-best finish in program history behind a seventh-place finish in 2001.
Gannon sent a school-record six wrestlers to the 2010 nationals with five earning All-America status, also a school record. Bowers, Petrella and Milanak achieved the honor for the first time while McElhaney and McGrath became two-time All-Americans.
The Golden Knights placed second at regionals that season, the highest finish in school history. Bowers and McGrath led Gannon with runner-up finishes. Eight wrestlers were regional place winners, another Gannon record.
Gannon recorded its eighth consecutive winning dual season in 2014-15 with a 7-5 mark. The Golden Knights placed fifth at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One and 40th at the NCAA Division II National Championships. The squad qualified three wrestlers for the national championships for the first time since 2012. Zelcs qualified for his fourth consecutive national championship appearance while Turek advanced for the third straight year.
In 2013-14, the Golden Knights finished 8-4. Gannon had a strong 2-1 showing at the Mid-Atlantic Duals, but the high mark had to be a thrilling come-from-behind 23-22 victory against No. 18 Lake Erie in the regular-season finale. The squad pulled out the win with a one-point decision during the final bout at heavyweight.
Henry’s troops finished fifth at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One and 27th at the national championships. Turek earned NCAA Division II All-America honors for the second consecutive season with a runner-up finish at 125 during the regionals. He placed fourth at nationals, representing the highest finish by a 125-pound wrestler in school history. He became the eighth wrestler in program history to earn multiple All-America awards during their career and the first Gannon wrestler to be named an All-American in back-to-back seasons since 2010.
Zelcs joined Turek with his third consecutive NCAA Division II National Championship appearance after winning a third-place bout at regionals. The 2013-14 season was the seventh straight in which multiple wrestlers advanced to the national championships.
Gannon went 6-4 during its dual schedule in 2012-13. The Golden Knights’ top highlight of the season was arguably a 21-18 victory against 16th-ranked Ashland during a stretch when the squad won six of the final eight bouts. The program finished seventh at the NCAA Division II Super Regional One and 29th at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
Turek and Zelcs both earned All-America status for the first time in their careers with eight-place finishes at 125 and 184, respectively. They became the 21st and 22nd wrestlers to achieve All-America status at the time under Henry.
Gannon posted a 9-2-1 dual record in 2010-11, defeating perennial power and nationally-ranked Pitt-Johnstown (28-6) and rival Mercyhurst (27-15) along the way. Gannon also hosted the NCAA Division II Super Regional One at the Carneval Athletic Pavilion, finishing third.
McKendree, Swope, Matos and Milanak all qualified for the 2011 national tournament, leading Gannon to a 16th-place finish.
Making his third trip to nationals in 2011, McKendree capped an impressive four-year career with a run to the national title match at 165 pounds. McKendree became just the third wrestler in Gannon history to reach the championship match, but suffered a 3-1 overtime loss to finish second. He became the fifth two-time All-American in Gannon history at the time. McKendree was honored as the NCAA Division II Super Region One Wrestler of the Year and became the second wrestler to be named co-Gannon Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Matos also earned All-America honors in 2011, finishing eighth at 125 pounds during his first trip to nationals.
Gannon posted 10 dual victories in 2008-09, equaling the second-most in program history at the time. The Golden Knights finished the regular season with seven straight dual victories, beating ranked opponents Ashland, Shippensburg and West Liberty during the streak. Tazzi, McElhaney and McGrath all earned All-America status at nationals.
The program finished 26th at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships. McKendree and Pino Scavella qualified for the second time in their careers while Bowers and McGrath advanced for the first time. McKendree became the school’s 12th All-American at the time.
Gannon also finished 26th at the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championships. Scavella and McKendree both made their first-ever national championship appearance.
In 2006, the Golden Knights finished 25th nationally. Paterniti became the first wrestler in school history to win four regional titles and became an All-American for the third time with a seventh-place finish in the 149-pound division at the national championships. He joined Proper as the only two wrestlers in school history at the time to earn All-America honors three times.
Gannon finished 18th at the 2005 NCAA Division II championships, sending four wrestlers to the event for the second consecutive season. Paterniti captured the bronze medal at 149 for the second straight campaign.
In 2004-05, Gannon qualified four wrestlers for the national championships. Paterniti and Sanders earned All-America status. Paterniti entered the national championship with an unblemished mark and the East Region 149-pound championship in his pocket. He lost by one point during the semifinals and finished third in Division II with a 19-1 record. Sanders placed eighth at 133.
The Golden Knights sent four wrestlers to the national championships and finished 17th in the country during the 2001-02 season. Gannon also sent four wrestlers to nationals one year earlier and finished seventh in the country during the 2000-01 campaign, the highest finish ever by a Gannon team.
In addition to the 17th-place finish in 2001-02, two wrestlers earned All-America status. Mitchell finished second in the heavyweight division after being pinned while leading in the final period of the title match. Bosko placed sixth at 149.
At 6-4-2, his 1999-2000 squad posted Gannon’s first winning dual record since the 1996-97 season. The squad also tied a school record for the best finish ever at the NCAA Nationals at that time, placing 22nd out of 33 teams. Proper and Joseph both advanced to the national championships. Proper became an All-American for the second time with a fifth-place finish.
Henry guided his 1998-99 squad to a 22nd-place finish at the national championships in Omaha, Nebraska. It was the program’s best finish ever at that time. Three wrestlers qualified for nationals under Henry in 1998-99: Proper, Schwabenbauer and Bob Banks.
Henry’s 1996-97 team finished with the most victories in school history, as the Golden Knights went 11-5 and finished sixth at the NCAA Division II East Regional. The 11 wins included an impressive 30-12 triumph over nationally-ranked Carson-Newman. Banks became Gannon’s first wrestler since Matt Scripps to reach the nationals. Scripps advanced to the national championships in 1995.
A four-year wrestler at Slippery Rock University, Henry served as the Rockets’ team captain his last two seasons and placed three times at the PSAC championships. As a senior, he finished second. He was a two-time NCAA Division I national qualifier at 142 pounds.
Henry is a 1983 graduate of Slippery Rock with a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation management. He was a longtime Director of Intramurals and the Carneval Athletic Pavilion at Gannon until stepping down from both positions during the summer of 2014.
