Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) alumni wrestling star Bryan Heller is returning to the mat at his alma mater — this time as head coach.
In his four-year wrestling stint at RFH, the 2003 graduate had a 118-win, 12-loss record; and then contributed to the success of the Penn State Nittany Lions' record, with the college team now reigning as national champions.
"It is great to be back with RFH after competing at Penn State and coaching clubs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey," said Heller. "I am grateful for the opportunity to share everything I have learned with budding athletes who walk the same halls I once walked at their age."
Heller was a four-time district finalist, two-time champion and three-time region placer for RFH. He also earned the honors of two-time region champion, and two-time state placer -- grabbing the number seven/eight spot in 2002 and the number seven slot in 2003.
While with the Lions in college, he was a three-year varsity letter winner and a two-year starter, and had a career record of 65-35 while competing in the prestigious Big Ten conference.
He also placed in the Big Ten Tournament as a Nittany Lion, grabbing the number seven spot in 2005 and number eight in 2007. He was a national qualifier in 2005 as well and also wrestled freestyle in the U.S.Open in 2006, finishing in the top 12.
Prior to being named Head Wrestling Coach at RFH, Heller coached nationally-ranked clubs including Wayne Danger of Lewiston, Pennsylvania, Shore Thing, Lakewood, and Triumph in Ocean Township.
Heller was a Team Head Coach during Team Wrestling Camps while a student at Penn State. He graduated from Penn State with a bachelor of science degree in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Management.
He also has experience in running wrestling clinics and coaching summer camps.
Heller wrestled at weights of 103, 119, and 130 pounds while at RFH. His wrestling weight at Penn State was 133 pounds as a freshman and 141 pounds as a senior.
He is enthusiastic about growing the RFH wrestling program along with Assistant Coach Seth Herman -- who also wrestled for RFH --and Junior Bulldog Coach Tom Skove.
"The Junior Bulldog Wrestling Club for boys in grades one through eight is growing by leaps and bounds, and the talented athletes coming into the high school have found success with Coach Herman at the helm," Heller said. "By continuing to grow both the Junior and RFH programs individually -- and integrating them seamlessly -- we collectively share the goal of bringing Bulldog wresting to an elite level where post-season success will be commonplace."
Heller and Herman have begun discussing schedule changes and other avenues for drawing more excitement to the sport.
"We both remember being a part of competitive teams with full lineups and a large fan base, and we want to bring this back for current athletes to experience," said Heller.
With a top-notch feeder program, recently upgraded training facilities, and key returners on the roster, Heller is confident about taking the RFH program to the next level.
"Marcus Iwama, Cole Bisaccia, and other Bulldogs have put in a full offseason of training and competing, and I am personally very excited for them to get back on the mat this season," he said. "It is a big plus for all of us that wrestling now has its own training space, thanks to a recent renovation of the RFH lower gym."
The RFH Wrestling Team will begin practice on December 2, 2013 and will have its first competition during the weekend of December 20.
The RFH Junior Bulldog Wrestling Club is a non-profit organization whose goal is to promote the sport of wrestling in the towns of Rumson and Fair Haven. The website for the Junior Bulldogs Wrestling Club is www.rfhjuniorbulldogwrestling.com.
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