With 200 wins and counting, wrestling coach remains humble
Wrestling coach built Penn program from Ivy doormat to one of East Coast’s best squads
By ilario huober
February 4, 2005
Whether it’s fair or not, a coach’s place in history depends greatly on the number of victories he is able to amass in his career.
Penn’s head wrestling coach, Roger Reina, reached one more milestone on that road last weekend at Columbia, winning the 200th match of his career. The coach attained the mark in his 19th season at Penn, boasting a 200-103-6 record overall.
No other Penn wrestling coach had even reached the 100 win plateau.
Even Cornell head coach Rob Koll, arguably Reina’s biggest rival in the Ivy League, realizes the significance of 200 victories.
“That’s a lot wins, obviously, “Koll said. “In any sport, [if] you get 200 wins, obviously you’re very consistent, for one. It would just take forever … It doesn’t matter if it’s wrestling, or football, or whatever; it’s just a great milestone.”
Reina himself is humble about the achievement, deflecting any praise to his wrestlers. He prefers to concentrate on motivating them rather than himself.
“To me, in some ways, it was just another day, “Reina said. “Your role as a coach at any point, regardless of what number win or loss it is for you, is to try and get your guys to do a little better than they did the day before and just raise their sights a little bit higher. That’s kind of what that day felt like to me.”
But if anyone is asked what Roger Reina has done for the Penn wrestling program, there will be an overwhelming response. Not only that, but the numbers also speak for themselves.
Before Reina arrived to man the helm of the program in 1986, the Red and Blue had not won an outright league title since 1969. Since he has been here, however, the Quakers have enjoyed fourteen winning seasons and an unprecedented eight Ancient Eight crowns. In the late 1990s, Reina’s squads won an impressive seven in a row.
Nationally speaking, Reina has produced the most Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champions, qualifiers, and NCAA qualifiers of any Eastern school during his tenure. In short, Penn wrestling has now ascended to the level premier programs nationwide.
“When [Reina] first came here, about 17 years ago, Penn was just a doormat in the Ivy League, “Koll said. “Roger’s taken that program and really turned it around into a nationally competitive program.”
Reina’s work ethic and dedication are visible to everyone who works alongside him.
“Coach Reina knows his business, “said Ryan Tobin, who has been working under Penn’s head man as an assistant since 2003. “He’s been doing it a long time and you can certainly see that in how he manages his workload. He gets recruiting classes in and has his success because he works hard at it. He works harder than anyone I’ve seen in the sport. I think he prides himself in it.”
Notably, Reina is the only coach in the Ivy League who works for his alma mater — he graduated from Penn in 1984. Undoubtedly, the University is glad to have him and he is pleased he can give back to Penn.
“I think that it’s a source of pride to be able to give back to an institution that provided me with such a great education, “Reina said.
One of Reina’s biggest obstacles in transforming Penn’s wrestling program is the bar on athletic scholarships. Along with the other Ivy League schools, Red and Blue athletics is unique in that the school is not permitted to give free rides to athletes.
“That was a really big question of mine early on, “Reina admitted. “I wasn’t sure how limited we would be by that, but we just tried to set our sights high and try and seek to recruit the top student athletes nation-wide.
“Penn’s in the unique position, and we have been for each of the last 10 years, consistently, to offer the number one combination of Division I wrestling and academics in the United States. … So we really hold a unique place in the market and a lot of top student athletes have recognized that.”
Reina also credits former Penn grapplers Brett Matter and Brandon Slay for the program’s increased notoriety of late. Matter was an NCAA champion in 2000, while Slay won an Olympic gold medal in the same year.
At this point, everyone’s eyes, including Reina’s, are trained on the path ahead. This weekend and the remainder of the season present more pressing issues. Starting today and continuing through tomorrow, Penn will take part in four home matches, and the Quakers’ most accomplished coach ever will begin taking steps toward 300. Whether he’ll get there is another question.
“I think that wrestling is part of what he is, “Tobin said of Reina. “I couldn’t see him leaving in the near future. But, you never know. Coaching is a tough job. It puts strains on life, and if he decided to leave I don’t think anyone would be upset with everything he’s done for the program.”
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