Don New was born and raised in Canastota and wrestled under Section III Hall of Fame Coach Bill Sharpe.

While at Canastota, New had a very successful career and was twice named the Outstanding Wrestler for the Red Raiders and was selected as the team's captain in his senior year campaign.

However, it was at Cornell University, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Miller and his staff, that New's wrestling career reached its zenith.

New wrestled on the freshmen team during his first season at Cornell like every freshman in the country was required to do back in the 1960s. During the 1964-65 campaign, New was given the Carl Almquist Award for the most improved wrestler on the Big Red squad going 9-1 in dual meets.

In the 1965-66 season, New went 9-4 and then enjoyed a very big senior season capped off with winning the 137-pound weight class at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association Championships and earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division I tournament. In that same season, New represented Cornell in the East-West All-Star Classic and was selected the 1967 Peter J. Floros Memorial Award winner, given out to the wrestler who is considered the most valuable wrestler on the team.

Following graduation, New returned home to Canastota to embark on an illustrious coaching career. He worked as a volunteer coach and assistant varsity coach until the 1984-85 season when he took over the reigns as varsity coach.

During his varsity coaching career, New compiled a very impressive 205-42-1 record. His Canastota Red Raiders won more than 50 tournaments throughout the state and were always in contention even when they did not win the tournament. He won 15 league titles, 11 class titles and three Section III championships in 1985, 1993 and 1994. His 1993-94 Red Raiders team was crowned New York State Championship team and was considered one of the best in Section III history.

New has coached 18 individual Section III champions which include his sons Mike and Ben, who won three Section III honors. He also coached three New York State champions - Terry Showalter (two-time NYS champion) and his son, Ben. His other two sons Mike and Jeff would later win New York State Collegiate championships while wrestling at Cornell University.

Rob Buyea, a successful children's author and a former Section III champion for New, shared that "Coach New created a culture of high expectations ... we pushed each other, supported one another, and developed a camaraderie that I will never forget. We learned about hard work, commitment and perseverance in our pursuits for greatness. Under Coach New's guidance, we developed what it takes to make successful people in life."

New has been inducted into three Halls of Fame for all his accomplishments which include the Section III Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Cornell University Hall of Fame and the Cornell Wrestling Hall of Distinction.

His educational resume includes a 1967 bachelor's degree from Cornell University, an MBA from Syracuse University and in 1985 he received his Certificate of Advanced Studies from State University College at Cortland. He has also found time to be active in many community services and clubs.

He served six years on the Canastota Board of Education and was the president of the board during one of his terms. He was the FFA advisor as a teacher, served and worked on the Cooperative Extension Board, the town of Lincoln Planning Board and the Canastota Civic Club. In addition, he has been very active as a supporter of Cornell wrestling.

Rob Koll says that "Don has been and continues to be a loyal and generous supporter and fan of Cornell wrestling ... it has been a pleasure to work with Don as an alumni and an honor to consider him as a good friend."

Don's life has been full of service to his student-athletes, his alma mater and the community that he lives in.

Don and his lovely wife, Deborah, have two daughters, Cadi and Meggie, and three sons, Ben, Mike and Jeff. Don and Debbie are proud grandparents of 11, and they enjoy spending their free time with all their family members and following the Big Red of Cornell.