Pat Santoro GARY ABBOTT’S MATSIDE CHAT WITH...
Pat Santoro’s wrestling roots are from the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, where he came from a wrestling family and com- peted in high school. After a year at Blair Academy, Santoro went to Pittsburgh, where he was a two-time NCAA champion. Santoro was one of the nation’s top freestyle wrestlers for almost a decade, and was second in the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Santoro began his coaching career as an assistant at Penn
State, Duquesne and Lehigh. His first head coaching opportuni- ty came at Maryland, where he helped the Terps become an ACC power. In April 2008, when the head position opened up at Lehigh, Santoro returned to his hometown area to coach its tra- ditionally strong program. Santoro is in his sixth season at Lehigh, and is working daily to build a team which will make an impact on the national level.
USA Wrestler: You came from a wrestling family. Did you
always know you’d wrestle, and when did you decide that you wanted to excel? Santoro: My brother started wrestling before I did. I was the
little brother following the big brother to practice. My dad was the coach of the youth program. My dad didn’t want me to wres- tle right away, but I kept bugging him. I always thought of wrestling practice as a time to play. I was fortunate I had a dad that didn’t push it, and he kept it a lot of fun. That is what made me really love wrestling. As I got older, I wanted to be a center- fielder for the Philadelphia Phillies but I wasn’t that good of an athlete. I played soccer and cross-country. I always loved wrestling. To me, it is still a game. You go out there and play. When you dig down deep, there is a joy in doing the sport. As I got into high school years, this is what I wanted to do.
USA Wrestler: Who were the top early influences in your wrestling career, and how did they help you improve and grow as a wrestler? Santoro: My dad was my first coach, and my brother. I admired the way they approached it. Dad was my coach, but I’d have to bug him if I wanted to go to a tournament. He was very particular about not rushing me into it. Looking back, I wasn’t good when I started. He wanted to keep it fun. I had little suc- cesses along the way. He was a big influence, the way he han- dled himself.
USA Wrestler: What was it like competing in wrestling-rich
Lehigh Valley in high school, and talk about the decision to attend Blair Academy prior to going to college? Santoro: Growing up in the Lehigh Valley was a great experi-
ence. When you leave the Lehigh Valley and go to different places in the country, you see how important it is in the Lehigh Valley. When you are here, you take it for granted a bit. I just went to a match last night that had 2,000 fans there. That is the way it has always been. All I’ve known is big crowds for wrestling. It’s important. It is a way of life in the Lehigh Valley. I have been surrounded by so many great wrestlers and great people. I didn’t have a very good high school career. I didn’t make the state tournament until I was a senior. I was physically
24 USA Wrestler
Lehigh coach Pat Santoro has enjoyed more than his share of success in wrestling as a competitor and as a coach.
immature, 125 pounds, a string bean. A teammate of mine, Kerry Ritrievi, went to Blair for a post-graduate year. His parents talked to my parents. I knew I wasn’t ready for college. I wanted to go there and it was probably the best decision I’ve made. Coach Bob Latessa was a great man. I worked out with Jeff Buxton. He beat me up every day. That is when Jeff was wrestling all the time. That was when I really started to take off.
USA Wrestler: Your family members wrestled at Lehigh, but
you chose Pittsburgh for college. Talk about that decision, and why Pitt was the right match for you. Santoro: I had strong ties and I loved Lehigh. Coach Thad
Turner was there at the time and he was one of my favorite people. Growing up in Pennsylvania, as a kid you wanted to go to Penn State. That is where I was going to go. My best friend and college roommate Al Utter, talked me into a visit to Pitt very late. I had my mind made up. I wanted physical therapy and Penn State had a pretty good program. Pitt had a great program so I decided to take a look. I went there and something clicked. I liked Pitt. Meeting Rande Stottlemyer, he was one of those people I instantly clicked with. He was a perfect coach for me at the time.
USA Wrestler: You won two NCAA titles for Pitt. What are
your top memories from your college competition? Santoro: What you remember the most are your teammates.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44