Waynedale wrestling coach Louie Stanley announced his retirement on Aug. 21 after 32 seasons at the helm, bringing an end to one of the greatest careers in Ohio grappling history.
Stanley compiled an incredible 587-110-2 dual record (.842 winning percentage) to rank third in OHSAA history for career victories. His Waynedale teams won 22 Wayne County Athletic League titles including the last 14 in a row and 18-of-19. He coached 101 state qualifiers, 58 placers and three champs.
The highlights are the Golden Bears’ 2012 Division III Individual State Tournament championship, four other top five finishes and five top three finishes at the State Duals Tournament.
But all good things must eventually come to an end, and Stanley decided it was time to turn over the reins. He will recommend his oldest son Brenden Stanley, 30, as his successor.
“I just think it was time,” said the 57-year-old Stanley, who was a standout football player and wrestler at Waynedale. “I wanted to make sure I stepped away when we had a really good team coming back and a great coaching staff in line.”
On a more personal level, coaching his sons Brenden, Reid and Logan to All-Ohio finishes and seeing them go on to wrestle in college and become coaches are memories Stanley said he’ll always cherish.
“When my kids were younger, I always thought, ‘Man, I can't imagine if my own sons would be a state qualifier, let alone a state placer, and be on really good teams,’” said Louie Stanley, who will continue as an OWA/OWE teacher at Waynedale. “The things that Brenden, Reid and Logan accomplished are very gratifying.
“Obviously, when your kids are good, you're hoping their buddies are also good. So as a coach and a dad, I think my job 25 years ago was to make sure we were building the youth program, and it benefited everybody.”
Stanley is a member of the National Wrestling, Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association, Wayne County Sports and Waynedale Wrestling Halls of Fame.
It’s hoped Brenden Stanley, Reid Stanley and longtime assistant Nick Widder will remain on the Bears’ staff. Louie plans to help as an assistant next year.
Asked about the legacy he’s left, Stanley deflected praise to the countless others who have contributed to the program over the last three-plus decades.
“People talk about my legacy; I just don't see it that way,” Stanley said. “I see it as ours. I always say ‘Waynedale wrestling’ because I can’t do anything without my wrestlers, without my assistant coaches, without my parents’ support and the school administration. You can be the best coach in the world, but if you don't have the right people in place, then nothing matters.”
Brenden Stanley was the Div. III 152-pound state runner-up on the Bears’ 2012 state championship team before wrestling at Ashland University. He called it “bittersweet” that his dad is retiring.
“My brother Reid and I have made it clear since he's even kicked the idea around (of retiring) that we wanted it to be on his terms,” said Brenden Stanley, a middle school social studies teacher. “If it were up to us, we'd keep the band together as long as we could because we have fun each and every year doing it.”
Brenden Stanley called his dad’s dedication unmatched, recalling team practices on Christmas and Thanksgiving, grueling offseason workouts, and summer camps. Louie also studied the sport as much as he could, picking up ideas from top high school and college coaches.
“He emulated what they did, and he put that into a small-town wrestling program and this community, and these kids bought in,” Brenden Stanley said. “I have so much pride in what my dad’s done — so much pride.”
Asked about being tabbed as his dad’s successor, Brenden Stanley said, “It’s tough to put into words or even talk about right now. I'm one of multiple assistants that are fully capable, fully able and fully accredited — my little brother Reid being one and my brother Logan at West Holmes. All three of us wanted to be like our dad: teacher and coach. We saw the joy that he got from it and our lifestyle growing up.”
Zeb Beam, who was the MVP of the Bears’ 2012 title team and the 160-pound state champion, said Louie Stanley has been a “father figure” to him since grade school. One of several Beam brothers to excel at Waynedale, Zeb went on to wrestle at Ashland University and is now a family nurse practitioner at the Viola Startzman Clinic in Wooster.
“I have no doubt that a great amount of the success I have had is from the values coach Stanley has instilled in me, including work ethic, discipline and accountability,” Beam said. “He had the perfect balance of toughness, wisdom and compassion, which is what made him such a great influence to all of us.”
Don’t ask Louie Stanley to pick the most memorable Waynedale team because they’re all special to him.
Of course he cherishes the 2012 title team, but he also reminisced about his first state qualifiers in 1995 (Mark Wilson, Steve Eisen), the state dual teams and his final 2024-25 team, which placed third at state with a school-record eight state qualifiers and matched the 2012 group with six placers.
“Every team has been special,” Stanley said. “I couldn’t have done this without my family. My sons worked hard, and I could write a book about how important Lisa has been to me. Wrestling has definitely saved my life.
“When kids come back at Christmastime or I see them successful and they talk about having a great experience wrestling, that makes me feel better than any coach's award I ever got.”
