Dr. Jose Helena

September 16, 1963 - Present

· Native of Dominican Republic/Atlanta/Decatur

· 1981 graduate of Towers High School (Decatur, GA)

· Played baseball at DeKalb College Central Campus

· 1989 graduate (B.S. Business Administration) of Livingstone College (Salisbury, NC) where he competed as a member of the Division 2 Blue Bears wrestling team

· 1999 graduate of Central Michigan University (M.S.) - Business Management

· 2001 graduate of Jacksonville State University (Ed.S.) - Educational Leadership

· 2005 graduate of Argosy University (D.BA.) - International Business

· 36 years of service as a coach at 10 different metro Atlanta schools - still active

· 2 years (1989/2003) - Cross Keys HS - assistant coach

· 1 year (1989-90) - Towers HS - assistant coach

· 11 Years (1991-2002) - SW Dekalb - head coach

· 1 year (2002-03) - Lithonia HS - head coach

· 8 years (2003-11) - Shiloh HS - head coach

· 1 year (2011-12) - Druid Hills HS - co-head coach

· 1 year (2012-13) - Lithonia HS - co-head coach

· 1 year (2013-14) - Stephenson HS - co-head coach

· 5 years (2014-2019) - Meadowcreek HS - head coach

· 1 year (2019-20) - Gainesville HS - assistant coach

· 1 year (2020-21) - Columbia HS - head coach

· 3 years (2021-present) - Meadowcreek HS - head coach

· Coached 5 individual state champions, 5 individual state runners-up, 47 Area champions, 20 county champs

· Presented award for over 500 career wins by the NWCA

· Volunteer at 1995 World Championships and 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, serving as ambassador to Latin American competitors

· Sponsored exchange trip through Sport Tour USA taking 40 wrestlers to the Dominican Republic (2004)

· Started wrestling program (Club Lucha Olimpica) in Monte Cristo, Dominican Republic (2022)

· Resides in Decatur, GA

 

Awards:

Year
2024
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Georgia

Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations