If Larry Sciacchetano’s name appeared in a thesaurus, its synonym would be “service to wrestling.”

He was a driving force for the development of a Hall of Fame for international wrestling. FILA subsequently named Stillwater’s National Wrestling Hall of Fame as the site of this international hall of honors. He also helped develop and maintain the Internet website for the FILA Hall of Fame and currently serves as president of the FILA Hall of Fame Commission.

Sciacchetano, who served on four other FILA commissions, has twice been awarded the FILA Gold Star, the top honor in international wrestling. He also earned the FILA Merit of Honor Award.

His service on the home front includes two terms as president of USA Wrestling, from 1994-98. During his tenure, the USA won the 1995 World Team Title in freestyle wrestling and captured the most freestyle medals of any nation at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

In 1998, he led the U.S. wrestling delegation to the Takhti Cup in Tehran, Iran -- the first time in the nearly 20 years since the Iranian Revolution that a U.S. sport team traveled to that country to compete.

As a coach and an athlete, Sciacchetano also garnered impressive credits. He served as assistant coach of the 1993 World Team, which won the first World Team Title for the United States. He guided U.S. teams on tours of international competition and served as team leader of the 1994 U.S. Freestyle World Team in Istanbul.

On the collegiate level, Sciacchetano coached nine years at Louisiana State, leading the Tigers to seven Southeast Conference titles and two eighth-place finishes at the NCAA tournament. He was also head wrestling coach at Montclair State and New York Maritime College. Twice named the NCAA National Coach of the Year, he was the NCAA’s Rookie Coach of the Year in 1965.

Sciacchetano coached the Syrian wrestling team at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games; assisted the U.S. staff at the 1992 Olympics; coached many New York Athletic Club champions; and served five years as the State Chairman of New Jersey. He has also written three books on wrestling.

Undefeated as a high school wrestler in New Jersey, he won NCAA All-America honors three times in the college division for Montclair State. He was also a finalist in both styles at the 1964 Olympic Trials.

Now of Baton Rouge, La., Sciacchetano serves as CEO of Pentagon Petroleum Inc., an international oil exploration company.