Don Elia has been associated with wrestling in some form for more than 50 years.

He began wrestling as an eight-year-old in Hackettstown, New Jersey. Since then, he has gone on to wrestle and coach in both the high school and college ranks.

He has nearly 30 seasons coaching the wrestling program at Carson-Newman College (now known as Carson-Newman University); home of the Eagles. He has guided the Eagle program to 15 Top 20 finishes and nine Top 10 finishes. Since 1980, Carson-Newman has qualified no fewer than two wrestlers every year for the NAIA or NCAA Tournaments.

Elia has had 67 of his wrestlers earn All-American honors, 22 of those have won individual National Championships. He has sent a combined total of 35 competitors to the NCAA Championships in C-N's first seven seasons at that level.

Coach Elia was recently inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame for his contributions to the Eagle wrestling program. Prior to becoming coach at Carson-Newman, Elia led the program at his alma mater, Maryville College. During his tenure (1970-1977) he led the team to a 93-35-1 record with six All-Americans.

He served as an assistant football and assistant wrestling coach there prior to assuming responsibilities as the wrestling team's headman.

Elia is a member of the Maryville College Hall of Fame for his contributions not only as a coach but an athlete as well.

While a student-athlete at Maryville, Elia was a three-sport letterman, letting in football, wrestling and track. He placed second in three SEIWA Wrestling Championships and compiled a record of 58-6, winning 28-consecutive matches at one point. In 1966-67, Elia gained his first coaching experience. He took the job at Hackettstown (New Jersey) High School, guiding the wrestling program to a 20-4 mark during his only season there.

After retirement he created a non-profit to support wrestling in East Tennessee and traveled back and forth for hours to support the club wrestling team at East Tennessee State University. 

Elia and his wife, Colleen, have two children, John Elia (wife Alice) and Christy Brooks (husband Rob) and 5 grandchildren, Thomas, Julian, Jack, Emmylou, and Pete.