Fred Powell

Assistant Varsity Coach

Boys Varsity Wrestling

     Coach Powell has just completed his 13th season with The Golden Tornado. Coach Powell mentored Coach Stoner as a wrestler at Slippery Rock University from 1986-1991 and is credited by Coach Stoner as being one of the most influential figures in his life. He is thought by many to be one of the great educators in coaching wrestling, and is highly recognized by wrestling enthusiasts and historians in any gym he walks into. Coach Powell was voted the Section 3 Assistant Coach of the Year in 2020-21 and 2022-23, and also received the WPIAL Assistant Coach of the Year for his efforts in both seasons!

     He began wrestling in the 9th grade and was a Virginia State Champion for Granby High School in Virginia wrestling for legend Billy Martin Senior. Granby High School went on to win 21 state titles in 22 years. His collegiate career highlights are numerous and are topped by his 1964 NAIA Collegiate National Championship and the vote of Most Valuable Wrestler, and a 1964 NCAA Division 1 Collegiate National Championship while wrestling for Lock Haven. While at Lock Haven Coach Powell wrestled with, and was coached by friend and Granby Alum Gray Simons, who won 3 National Titles at Lock Haven and went on to wrestle for the United States in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics. Coach Powell went on to compete at the international level and placed 5th in the 1966 FILA World Freestyle Championships for the United States.

     After a brief time coaching at West Point, Coach Powell went on to assume the duties of Head Wrestling Coach at Slippery Rock University. He held this position at S.R.U from 1967-1991. He completed his tenure there with a career with a record of 215-105-4 in 23 seasons.  He coached eleven NCAA Division 1 All-Americans and twelve All-Americans in the Collegiate Division.  One wrestler, Stan Dziedzic went on to win the Bronze Medal in the 1976 Olympics and was also a World Champion.  Many of his former wrestlers have gone on to become successful coaches at the high school and collegiate levels.

     In addition to his collegiate coaching career, he also coached the Australian National Team, and coached in Hungary and New Zealand. In addition, he coached a High School World Elite Freestyle Team to two World Championships. Coach Powell was inducted into Slippery Rock University Hall of Fame, the Lock Haven University Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for Lifetime Service to Wrestling. This past year he was elected to the Butler County Hall of Fame. He was named NCAA College Division 1 Coach of the Year in 1971. 

     After he resigned from his collegiate coaching career, he began a wrestling program at Slippery Rock High School in 1998 and continued there until 2006. He developed many Sectional, Regional, and District Champions, along with several outstanding State Place Winners.