Hall of Fame
When Mr. Barry Gresh brought his wrestling talents to Pitt-Johnstown from just up the road in Ebensburg prior to the 1976-77 season, little did he know that he would end up being one of the cornerstones that helped build the Mountain Cat program into what it has become today. Mr. Gresh, a three-time All-American, became Pitt-Johnstown’s first NCAA wrestling All-American in 1979 and began a tradition that has helped develop Pitt-Johnstown into one of the top Division II wrestling programs in the country.
In 1979, Mr. Gresh became Pitt-Johnstown’s first NCAA All-American with a fifth-place showing on his way to leading the Mountain Cats to a second straight winning season and a sixth-place showing at the East Regional Tournament under Head Coach Pat Pecora.
That was just the start of things for Mr. Gresh and the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling program. The following season Mr. Gresh placed seventh at the NCAA Tournament to help Pitt-Johnstown post its first-ever Top-20 national finish. He then became the Mountain Cats’ first three-time All-American by placing fifth at the NAIA National Tournament.
In 1980, Mr. Gresh earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business and Economics from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. He returned home to Ebensburg and continued to work on the family’s dairy farm until 1984 when he accepted a position in Lewistown as a loan officer for Northeastern Farm Credit Association. Mr. Gresh advanced in the financial sector where he became regional manager for Allied Financial Products.
Because of business consolidation, Mr. Gresh was going to have to relocate. Instead of relocating and moving his family, he decided to go back to school to become a teacher and coach. He earned a Social Studies Teaching Certificate at Saint Francis University. In 1990, Mr. Gresh was hired by the Central Cambria School District as a social studies teacher, a position he still holds today. He continued his educational pursuits and received a Master’s in Education from St. Francis University in 1995.
Mr. Gresh, a PIAA State Champion wrestler and a member of the Bishop Carroll High School Athletic Hall of Fame, has also been Central Cambria’s junior and senior high head wrestling coach for 14 seasons. In addition, Mr. Gresh has also enjoyed coaching youth t-ball, baseball, soccer, and football.
Mr. Gresh and his wife Debra, have four children, Brian and Megan Gresh and Zak and Ben Koval. Barry and Debra reside in Revloc, Pa.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” Mr. Gresh said. “I have to attribute a lot of my success at Pitt-Johnstown to an extremely talented young coach named Pat Pecora. Coach Pecora knows how to push you to your limits, but also knows how to put a smile on your face.”
