Salvatore DiFazio traveled an unusual route to wrestling excellence.

Attending Mepham High School as an all-league baseball player, he graduated from Ithaca College and served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps from 1955 to 1957. He attended Columbia University and received his master's degree in 1960.

Sal began his teaching career in the Half Hollow Hills School District in 1960, coaching baseball for 12 years and teaching business education for 28 years. But everything changed in 1961, when at the request of his athletic director, DiFazio was hired as the school's very first wrestling coach.

Although Sal was unsure about the new position, he was determined to succeed. Aimed only with his strong athletic background, Sal taught himself how to wrestle by reading books and attending clinics by Sprig Gardner and others. For the next 27 years, DiFazio had a new passion: Wrestling.

DiFazio began the wrestling program at the junior high level for one year, and in 1962, Half Hollow Hills had its very first varsity wrestling team. When the school expanded, DiFazio had the school design the wrestling room that Half Hollow Hills wrestlers use today. To motivate his new wrestlers, DiFazio started the HHH Wall of Fame.

Sal's teams competed with powerhouse Brentwood High School. In 1975, in front of a packed gym of more than 2,000 people, Half Hollow Hills ended Brentwood's 79-match winning streak and their quest for a 10th straight league title by winning the dual meet 22-18. The win also earned Half Hallow Hills the League I title.

In 1971, Half Hollow Hills became the first team in New York State to field two varsity and junior varsity wrestling teams. For the next 10 years, the "black" and "red" teams had 48 student-athletes wrestle every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. It was a lot of hard work, but DiFazio felt that the best way to keep students interested in the sport was to give them matches every week. Many teams today follow the same format, creating "B" teams to keep students involved. He did this with the help of only two assistant coaches, Tom Finn and Joe Goonan.

In 1978, Coach DiFazio led Half Hollow Hills to its first and only Suffolk County title, edging rival Huntington High School by five points. Half Hallow Hills crowned one county champion, Mike Rogers, and had four place-winners. For his efforts, he was awarded the Suffolk County Coach of the Year for 1978.

DiFazio retired in 1988 and was awarded the Grand Master Award by the Suffolk County Coaches Association. DiFazio finished his coaching career with 239 varsity dual meet wins, three league championships and the 1978 county championship. He coached 22 league champions, 24 Suffolk County place-winners, five county champions, and two New York State place-winners.

More importantly, DiFazio's wrestlers learned the importance of hard work, goal setting, accountability, dealing with failure, and how important it is to have a passion in life. He expected his wrestlers to conduct themselves in a professional manner, "show humility in victory and be gracious in defeat." He made sure his athletes respected their teammates, opponents, and coaches.

DiFazio always led by example and was a great role model to his wrestlers. Eight of his wrestlers and assistants went on to become teachers and head wrestling coaches.

For 55 years Sal has been married to his lovely wife, Mary Lou. They raised five children and spend time with their 14 grandchildren. He now enjoys his retirement spending time in Newfoundland, Pennsylvania and Sunset Beach, North Carolina.

DiFazio is known as the father of Half Hollow Hills wrestling. His commitment to the sport of wrestling and to teaching his wrestlers to act like champions on and off the mat have earned him a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for Lifetime Service to wrestling.