Michael DeBarbieri and his wife Susan presently reside in Portville, NY. They are the parents of three wonderful children: Joseph, an assistant superintendent of schools and wrestling official, John, an environmental engineer, and Amy, an elementary school teacher. Mike did his college wrestling at Lock Haven University, located in Lock Haven, PA (aka Mat Town USA). He received a BS Degree from that institution in 1976 and earned a Master's Degree from St. Bonaventure University in 1982. Having coached wrestling in western New York for 35 years, Mike is considered an icon in the sport by many. He began his coaching career as a junior high school wrestling coach in Wellsville, NY (1976-78). Soon after, Mike took a position as assistant wrestling coach at Bolivar High School (1978-79). In 1980 he assumed the head wrestling coaching position at Bolivar, a position he would hold for the next five years. Mr. DeBarbieri quickly made a positive impact in high school wrestling when in 1980 his peers voted him coach of the year in Section 5 Class D. He was the first coach in Section 5 to send a Class D wrestler to the State High School Wrestling Championships (only one division at that time). In 1985 Mike DeBarbieri was appointed head wrestling coach at Portville High School, a position he would hold for the next 28 years. His teams achieved many noteworthy accomplishments. Four were Section 6 Class D champions. He won ten league team titles (four at Bolivar and six at Portville). For his work at Portville, Mike was voted coach of the year numerous times in his league as well in Section 6 at large. In addition, he was voted Big 30 Coach of the Year (included schools in both NY and PA). Mr. De Barbieri's wrestlers have been visible on the tournament place winner's stand throughout his long coaching career. In all, Mike has coached 30 overall Section 6 place finishers, 6 state championships qualifiers and four state placers in Ryan Jordon, third, 1994; Adam Babcock, fifth, 1997; John DeBarbieri, fifth, 1998 and Gunnar Van Curran, sixth, 2013. Mike's service to high school wrestling has transcended his coaching. He has been a Western NY Southern Tier Wrestling Official for the past thirteen years and the Section 6 Wrestling Chairman for small schools for the past 23 years. For young wrestling coaches in his part of the State, Mr. Debarbieri has been the "go to guy" for years. His willingness to share knowledge and information with others has been a great help to high school wrestling in Section 6. It should be noted that in addition to being a wrestling coach at Portville High School, Mike has served as a teacher for 33 years, athletic director for ten years and assistant football coach for 15 years. In addition, he has found time to serve his community by acting as Chairman of the Tax Grievance Board 1995-2008 and Assistant Code Enforcement Officer 2010-2012 for the Village of Portville. Men like Mike DeBarbieri are the people who have made us proud to be members of the amateur wrestling community. It is with great honor that the New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame recognizes the accomplishments of Mr. Michael DeBarbieri by inducting him into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.