For 27 years, campus aide John Staulo has coached North’s wrestling team at North in a tenure marked by strong bonds with both students and staff and a reputation as an outstanding coach. In recognition of his years of dedication to the sport, Staulo was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame Saturday, March 2.
“I think Coach Staulo was inducted into the Hall of Fame because he’s one of the best coaches of all time,” said senior Jacob Demeo, a wrestling team captain along with senior Jon Jauregui. “Everyone around New England respects him, and he has built connections throughout the entire region.”
Staulo’s wrestling prowess has been duly recognized through his induction into not only the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame, but also the Newton South Athletic Hall of Fame, Massachusetts Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and Massachusetts chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
His journey in wrestling spans over four decades, starting from his high school days here in North. After making his wrestling debut during his junior year, he emerged as a Sectional Champion and state runner up in 1973.
Recruited initially for football at the University of Rhode Island, his journey took a turn when he recognized the caliber of the university’s wrestling program. “I didn’t know if I was going to wrestle after high school, but as fate would have it, the University of Rhode Island, a small school, was on its way to having a great wrestling team,” said Staulo.
Staulo balanced his athletic pursuits in college, participating in wrestling while still playing football and even lacrosse. His commitment and skill propelled him to become a two-time New England runner-up wrestling heavyweight, as well as a team captain for the URI squad that first broke into Division 1 national rankings.
After his time at the University of Rhode Island, Staulo found his way back to Newton and immersed himself in coaching football and lacrosse at South. However, his passion for wrestling persisted, leading him to split his time during wrestling season between training with heavyweight wrestlers at Boston University and mentoring high school wrestlers at North.
Eventually, after volunteering to coach wrestling at North for three years, Staulo transitioned to become an assistant wrestling coach and a head coach soon after. Upon assuming the head coach role, Staulo’s impact extended beyond the wrestling mat. Although Staulo was initially hired for a one-year term as a temporary campus aide at North, his passion for engaging with students and positively influencing their lives has kept him in the position for 27 years and counting.
“You never realize that you could have the same effect on younger guys that our coaches did on us,” said Staulo.
