Bob Dalling is one of the founding fathers of wrestling in New Jersey. He wrestled at Blair Academy and captained the team in 1929. Then off to Lehigh University where he won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Championship in both 1932 and 1933 at 126 pounds. In the years he wrestled at Lehigh he won 50% of his matches by fall in an era when bouts were often decided without a point being scored, i.e. by referee’s decision or riding time.

His devotion to wrestling is legendary and evidenced early in his career when he wrestled at Lehigh and simultaneously coached at Blair three days a week. In the days before Route 80 and Route 33 he drove from college in Bethlehem, PA to Blairstown, New Jersey. The trip took two hours one way.

This was the beginning of a long and successful relationship coaching Blair. He led their program for 32 years over a 42-year period. Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States when Dalling began coaching, and Richard Nixon was the President when he retired. His 1933 team had a stretch of 23 consecutive wins and was considered the best team in New Jersey.

Dalling’s coaching style combined an unwavering devotion to both his athletes and the sport of wrestling seasoned with a wonderful sense of humor. He was a strict disciplinarian who enjoyed the respect of his wrestlers and coaches alike. In all, Dalling coached eight National Prep Champions and 28 National Prep place winners. Today, in the National Prep School Championship the Bob Dalling Trophy recognizes the wrestler who has the most falls in the least aggregate time. Bob Dalling was a superb teacher of the sport of wrestling, a great competitor, a man of integrity and a true sportsman. His presence, purpose, and performance served as a sturdy pillar in the early development of wrestling in the state of New Jersey.