Dave began wrestling as a freshman in 1963 at Scanlon Playground, winning the 84 pound City of Chicago Playground championship.  He joined Fenger High School’s team as a sophomore and qualified for the state tournament the next three years, graduating in 1967. 

Dave’s next stop was at Augustana College (Illinois), graduating in 1971 with a BA degree in Geology and Physical Geography.  He earned four varsity letters for Augustana and was named team captain in his first two years.  He won the CCIW conference championship his freshman and sophomore years.  Injuries his next two years prevented further conference championships and national tournament honors.  He did reach the Midlands semifinals as a senior.

Dave began his teaching and coaching career in the fall of 1973 at Wilmington High School where he served as freshmen wrestling coach and science teacher.  He moved to Stagg High School in the fall of 1975 where he assumed the head wrestling position.  He served as Stagg’s head coach for the next 31 years, retiring after the 2006 school year.

During Dave’s coaching career at Stagg, he coached his team to 344 dual meet victories, 43 individual state qualifiers, 19 individual state place winners, and six State Champions.  His 1984 team won the Dual Team State Championship in the first year of the Dual Team State Series.

Dave was the founder and coach of the off-season Southsider Wrestling Club, an IWF/USA Wrestling Club.  Dave ran numerous off-season IWF/USA Wrestling tournaments and clinics during his Stagg coaching tenure.  He served as the SICA Wrestling Coaches Association President twice.  He was this organization’s banquet awards chairman from 1982-2006.

Coaching honors for Dave included being named the 1984 IWCOA AA Coach of the Year and an induction into the IWCOA Hall of Fame in 2000.