A 1971 graduate of Bishop Hendricken in Rhode Island, Brian won two Rhode Island state championships and a New England title in 1971. After graduating from Springfield College in 1975, Brian became the head coach at Windham High in 1978.

His Whippet teams won 10 Central Connecticut Conference (CCC) East Division titles, including seven in a row from 1987-93. Windham won seven state championships (five in Class L and two in Class M) between 1983 and 1994. The Whippets were the second Connecticut team to win a New England championship in 1992 and finished second in New England in 1993.

Twelve Windham wrestlers brought home 16 State Open championships and five won New England titles. Brian coached 21 seasons for the Whippets finishing with a record of 365-119-6 when he stepped away following the 1998 season.

Brian filled his Windham wrestling schedule with challenging matches, always seeking the most imposing road for his team. Due to preparation and coaching, Brian’s wrestlers were always extremely fit, technically sound and prepared to survive the relentless post-season tournament grind.

Perhaps the best measure of Brian’s impact as a coach was the number of former Whippets who have been inspired to follow his example and coach at the high school level. Former Whippet wrestlers Pat Risley (Windham), Ernie Goodwin (Glastonbury), Bobby Crespo (New London), Kirk Jenkins (Windham Tech) and Mike Spudic (Fairfax, Virginia) became head coaches with numerous other former Whippets working as assistant coaches.

Brian was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997 and was named wrestling coach of the year by the Connecticut High School Coaches Association (CHSCA) in 1993. In 2014, he was inducted into the CHSCA’s Hall of Fame.

He also coached the Windham High football team for 30 years from 1985 through 2015, winning 172 games. His football teams earned CIAC playoff bids five times and twice played in the state championship games in 1992 and 2006. He was the CHSCA football coach of the year in 2010.

Profile photo taken June 2010.
Biography updated April 1, 2024 by the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame