Over four decades of service to wrestling started with four years on the varsity team at Edgewood Regional High School (NJ) that O’Neil captained as a senior before graduating in 1966. O’Neil wrestled on the freshman team at the University of Oklahoma and then three years on the varsity team with the University of Connecticut (1970 graduate).

At Woodbury (NJ) High School, O’Neil was a teacher and freshmen football and Junior Varsity coach several years. He also was the varsity wrestling coach from 1970-1980. His teams were ranked in the top 15 in southern New Jersey for five years and individual wrestlers won 11 district, 5 regional and one state championship medals. Following his scholastic coaching career, O’Neil became an assistant coach at Temple University.

O’Neil was a school business administrator in the Woodbury school district and several other districts for 26 years. He remained active in many areas of wrestling throughout South Jersey and the state. He’s one of the originators of the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame, served on the Executive Committee since its inception in 1980 and has served as vice chairman and chairman of the organization.

The originator and president of the South Jersey Wrestling Club, O’Neil has been a member of the Executive Committee of the South Jersey Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association for 38 years, and a member of the New Jersey Wrestling Officials Association since 1971. He served as NJWOA president for four years, vice president for two years, an executive committee member at large for four years and also was an Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Official since 1983. O’Neil officiated at the district (28 years), regional (26 years) and state levels (18 years) before stepping down to become Tournament Director of the State Team and Individual Championships.

A career that included assisting the development of the original ranking system and serving as Ranking Chairman for Regions 7 and 8 in the state, O’Neil also was active in the development of the Gloucester County Junior Wrestling League and was the originator of the Woodbury Youth Wrestling Team and Woodbury Wrestling Booster Club.

Among the honors recognizing O’Neil is the prestigious Harry E. Lake Award for contributions to New Jersey Wrestling, the Mirshak Award for excellence in officiating (one of five people in state history to receive both awards), Coach of the Year recognitions from the Courier-Post and Woodbury Times, Southern Chapter of the NJWOA Official of the Year, Outstanding Officials Award for New Jersey from the National Federation of Interscholastic Officials Association and Outstanding Contribution Award from the South Jersey Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association. He has been inducted into the Woodbury High School Hall of Fame (2007), Gloucester County Sports Hall of Fame (2006), South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame (1998), and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2009) via the New Jersey Chapter for Lifetime Achievement.