A New Jersey Hall of Fame inductee and highly successful wrestling coach describes John Semar in this manner: "As a young wrestling coach I learned many aspects of the sport from my association with John, not the least of which was how to give back to the sport of wrestling by contributing my time and services". What a fine testament to a coach who has managed to secure the confidence of his peers through a work ethic and coaching philosophy that is well known and respected. John Semar carved his way through the ranks of New Jersey wrestling as a result of 17 years a head coach, and 25 as an assistant at 6 high schools, 5 of them in New Jersey. John's notable achievements came while as coach at the Cherry Hill East and West High Schools, and it was there that he made signature programs blossom and gain respectability. A dedicated student of the sport, the former Springfield College graduate quietly went about his craft developing a program and cadre of wrestlers who soon began to make their mark in South Jersey circles, and later at the district, regional and state levels of competition. For instance, John's 1981 Cherry Hill East team secured at Top 10 ranking in the state, conference championships followed in 1978 thru 81, and he was named Region 7 coach of the Year three times. A South Jersey Hall of Fame inductee in 2001, one of his crowning achievements, previous to that he was honored as being Coach of the Year in 1987 by his peers in the NJWCA. John's other significant contributions in the sport are quite evident as coach for the NJ-USA Wrestling Team, USA Wrestling coach for exchanges to Canada and Mexico, and co-founder of the Grapevine Youth Wrestling League. John remains a dedicated leader in the sport of wrestling, and although retired from teaching, he has been an assistant coach at Cherry Hill West High School since 2006. John is highly regarded by his peer coaches as a gentleman, a purveyor of knowledge and ideas for "making the sport grow" in New Jersey, as well as helping all wrestlers succeed by virtue of wholesome competition, fair play, and commitment to a set of values that truly identify the sport of wrestling for what it is. John and his wife Kate reside in Cherry Hill and have three sons, all of them former wrestlers. Congratulations John to you and your family on this truly signature honor, and one well deserved.