Lou Rosselli GARY ABBOTT’S MATSIDE CHAT WITH...
Lou Rosselli has been successful in all levels of wrestling. A two-time New York state high school champion, Rosselli went on to Edinboro, where he was a two-time All-American. On the international level, Rosselli won three U.S. Open titles and made the 1996 Olympic Team in Atlanta, Ga. A broken elbow knocked him out of the Olympic competition, halting his quest for a medal. He started his coaching career as an assistant coach at Edinboro, and when Tom Ryan took over the Ohio State pro- gram, he joined the Buckeyes at their top assistant. Rosselli coaches freestyle with the New York AC and at the Ohio Regional Training Center, perhaps the top RTC in the nation. He was an Olympic Coach at the 2012 London Games. We caught up with Rosselli as he was preparing athletes for the 2014 Open.
USA Wrestler: How did you get involved in wrestling, and
who were some of the early people who influenced the early part of your career? Rosselli: I got involved because my two brothers did it. They
got me started in the sport. My dad took me to tournaments every weekend. A guy named Dick Lang, an assistant coach at Royalton-Hartland, ran the youth program. He took a liking to me and kept me excited about wrestling. His influence made wrestling fun and kept me doing it for the long haul.
USA Wrestler: When did you realize you were a good wrestler and begin to set high goals for yourself? Rosselli: When you go to tournaments every weekend and
begin to have success, you realize that you are doing better at it. My freshman year, I was third in the state, and I realized that this was something I could do. My goal after taking third was to win the state tournament. Then you put yourself on a different training program and your work ethic starts to change and you learn how much time you need to put into the sport to reach your goal.
USA Wrestler: You won two New York state high school
titles. What were your top memories from high school? Rosselli: When I took third in the state, I realized I could win
this thing three times. Obviously, I won only twice, but your mind thinks that it can be done. When you win your first state title, you think you can do this at the next level. Every time you get your hand raised is special. When I won my first state title, it was in overtime. I tilted the guy. It was Darryl Page from Section IV, who beat me the year before. At that time, that was a high profile match for me. Beating a state champ to win your first state title was certainly a highlight.
USA Wrestler: Why did you choose to attend Edinboro, and
when you got there, why was this the right place for your col- lege career? Rosselli: Edinboro was a great choice for me. It was a small-
er school. Mike DeAnna sold me on the place. He was very charismatic. He sold the dream of being good at something. Edinboro was a good fit, a smaller school with big-time
24 USA Wrestler
Lou Rosselli has excelled as a top collegiate assistant coach at Ohio State and also internationally as one of the country’s premier freestyle coaches. Tony Rotundo photo.
wrestling. When I went there, they were Top Ten. His personality sold me. Knowing he was from Iowa, that’s all you heard about in that era, I knew he had a great work ethic. The educational part, I have a teaching degree, it worked out for me. Bruce Baumgartner, at that time, had seven World and Olympic medals and that is what you wanted to do. Mike had the per- sonality and Bruce had the success
USA Wrestler: You were a two-time All-American in college.
Share your top memories from college. Rosselli: My college career made me want to be an Olympic
athlete. It’s not what stands out, it is what didn’t happen. You go through the process, take third, and think you are the best guy. That stimulated me to wrestle a lot longer. I took fourth in the U.S. Open and the Trials as a junior, and I began to think I can do this.
USA Wrestler: When did you decide to pursue the Olympic
dream, and after college, what was your game plan that would allow you to reach your goals? Rosselli: I got on board with the New York Athletic Club, an
outstanding supporter of wrestling, which gives people opportu- nity. Back then, the national coach was Bruce Burnett. He did a great job bringing me along and teaching me the skill sets. You go to the Training Center, learn the skills from Bruce, and these
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