You name the level and Joe Dougherty has been there: high school coach; middle school coach, elementary school coach. Add in high school and elementary school camps and you have a no-brainer for induction into the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Retired after coaching South Brunswick High School wrestling 26 years, he is in his 10th year coaching Crossroads Middle School. His high school record was 306-182-3.

In addition to his scholastic coaching success, for 28 years he was involved in the Old Bridge Wrestling Festival as Assistant Director. He was the high school camp director, the elementary school camp director and was also a camp counselor at Jackson Valley.

Dougherty was Region 5 President and Vice-President, and in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) served as President, Vice-President and Treasurer. He also hosted the District 20 Tournament 25 years.

As for other honors, he is in the Region 5 Hall of Fame, the South Brunswick High School Hall of Fame, the Old Bridge High School Sports Hall of Fame, and the New Jersey Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was a three-time District Coach of the Year, a Region 5 coach of the Year, and won multiple GMC Division Coach of the Year honors.

As for his South Brunswick High School teams, the Vikings were 13-time state group qualifiers, 4-time District 20 champions, 12-time GMC Tournament champions, 12 County/GMC Division titles, and had 57 individual district champions, 12 individual region champions and 7 state place winners.

As a wrestler at Madison Township High School (now Old Bridge), Dougherty was a three-time NJSIAA state qualifier. He won the 108-pound state championship in 1975 and placed third at 115 in 1976. He went on to wrestle three years at Bloomsburg State University (PA).

Dougherty also coached golf 16 years, with a record of 155-76.

A computer and technology educator for more than 30 years, he retired in 2020 and now resides in Monroe with his wife Marianne.