Tom Pauley has been coaching for 46 years. He is known as a quiet, soft spoken and thoughtful man not given to outbursts of anger or verbal barrages except for rare occasions during wrestling meets. After graduating from Pulaski High School where he did not wrestle, in 1954, Tom enrolled at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. Baldwin-Wallace is a small, private, liberal arts college founded by forward-thinking Methodists over 150 years ago, which enjoys an excellent academic reputation. It also has a wrestling program. Tom made the wrestling team as a sophomore and found a new sport that would shape his life. In 1961, Tom accepted a faculty position at New Hartford High School. He taught various courses in history, government and psychology there until his retirement from teaching in 1992. While there, he began his coaching career for which he is now being honored. Tom was Assistant Varsity Coach at New Hartford from 1961 to 1971 and Head Coach thereafter, except for one year off in 1984, until his (first) retirement from coaching in 1995. In addition, Tom coached the Freshman football team (Assistant Coach from 1961 to 1965 and Head Coach from 1965 to 1972), the Varsity football team (Assistant Coach and Defensive Coordinator from 1972 to 1985), the Junior Varsity football team (Head Coach from 1985 to 1995) and the Junior High track team (Head Coach from 1961 to 1972). While he was Head Coach at New Hartford, Tom's teams won 12 League championships. He coached 22 Sectional champions and saw 24 of his wrestlers compete in the New York State Championships, of whom 19 placed. Six of his wrestlers became State Champions: Charbel Karrat at 177 pounds in 1978 (second in 1977), Brett Cook at 91 pounds in 1980, John Pauley at 91 pounds in 1981 (second of Tom 's five sons, John also took a fourth in 1983 at 105 pounds), Ron Vitullo at 215 pounds in 1989 (sixth in 1988), Steve Caruso at 130 pounds in 1990, and David Caruso at 98 pounds in 1994 (second at 91 pounds in 1993 and third at 112 pounds in 1995). Tom gave clinics at the St. Lawrence Wrestling Camp for more than 20 years. He is a founding member of the Mohawk Valley Wrestling Association. He served 12 years as President of the Mohawk Valley League and another ten years as Chairman. He is an active member of the U.S. Wrestling Association and of the New York State Wrestling Association. He was inducted into the Section III Hall of Fame in 2002. Having retired from coaching at New Hartford in 1995, and from teaching in 1992, Tom found old habits hard to jettison. In 1995 he began lending his talents to the wrestlers at Vernon- Verona-Sherrill Regional High School as a consultant and Assistant Coach. That same year he began teaching at the House of the Good Shepherd, a school for troubled boys with behavioral problems. No longer did he teach about the battle of Hastings, separation of powers, egos and superegos; Tom now taught to change lives. Tom retired (second time) from these positions in 2005. So, what's Tom doing now? Coaching, of course. He can be found coaching football and track at Notre Dame High School in Utica where he has been since 2004. Moreover, he has recently started up a wrestling program there, having convinced the necessary powers of the cross-training benefits that will flow to the football program. Like most wrestling coaches, Tom usually talks about his wrestlers, like his six State Champions noted above, when asked about his success as a coach. Tom also lists a few mentors and fellow coaches as contributors to his success, such as: Jack LaBombard, Leo Johnson, Jack Stanbro and Wayne Blue. Like the good history teacher he is, Tom understands continuity and passing knowledge along. In addition to second son John, mentioned above, Tom has four other sons: Mark, Christopher, Todd and Michael. His marriage to Laurie B. Percival in 1998 also instantly blessed him with three step-daughters: Emily, Arienne and Rachel. Laurie is a Methodist minister doing the Lord's work in Stittville, New York.