Bound Brook Wrestling: History
The History of Bound Brook WrestlingWrestling started as an intramural sport in 1932 and quickly grew to be
the most popular intramural sport offered at Bound Brook, even our great basketball coach Joe Barile won an intramural title in 1933. Because of this popularity, the program attained varsity status in 1936 and John "Art" Springer was named as the first coach. However, seven years later the
program was discontinued because of World War II. Wrestling again became a varsity sport in 1949 when legendary Coaches Mike Schibanoff and Dr. James Connerton requested that the Board of Education restart the program.
These men built Bound Brook into the premiere power in Somerset County. Schib has gone on to win every major wrestling award in New Jersey, including the Lake Award and Mirshack Award for Excellence in Officiating. He is enshrined in the Region 5 Hall of Fame, NJSIAA Hall of Fame and helped write the first wrestling rule book. He was inducted into the New Jersey Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001.
The success at BBHS continued with Norm Cromack who coached some of Bound Brook's greatest teams and wrestlers, including the 1957 team which featured wrestlers such as Sal Amato, Mario Gentile and Joe Zelasney.
Although Mr. Schibanoff never left the program, he reemerged as a co-head coach in 1960, this time he was assisted by long time football coach Jack Eustler, Mike Fisher and Nelson Rebo. Success followed him again as the 1960 team went undefeated.
Bound Brook¹s next legendary coach was Bob Zarbatany who guided the Brook to numerous District and County titles. He had a phenomenal 22 District Champions in five years. Many of his wrestlers went on to coaching, such as 1990 Union County Coach of the year Rick Iacano'64 and Vince Yannetti'67. Zarb than left Bound Brook to coach national powerhouse Easton, Pa. One of his stars there was Bob Weaver, a Gold Medalist in the 1984 Olympics.
Zarb passed the program to 1961 Grad Sam Gramiccioni'61, who despite facing declining enrollment, coached Bound Brook to four Conference titles, four District 18 Championships and a County Title. He also coached Bound Brook's last State Champion: Pete Schuyler'78.
In 1981 Mr. Gram handed the team to Walt Bauer. Despite the complete breakdown in Bound Brook's Junior High School feeding system, Wolfman coached the Brook to numerous winning seasons and a State Section
Championship in 1984.
Bound Brook¹s 5th and current coach is Len Koupiaris, who is Bound Brook's winningest coach with over 180 wins. Koup has four sectional titles, two conference, two county championships and two district titles. He has seven State place winners and was the 1991 and 1999 Home News Coach
of the Year. In 1999 he was recognized as the District 18, Star Ledger Somerset County, Courier News and Region 5 Coach of the year.
The quality of Bound Brook wrestling is still well known throughout New Jersey as the program closes in towards near the 500 wins in 2003.