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Cards’ Conley credits crew
Canfield’s veteran
coach recognized
as Ohio’s best in D-II
By Brian Dzenis
Canfield wrestling coach Dean Conley doesn’t miss the opportunity to play up the achievements of his team.
When a wrestler makes the state finals, they get to wear a gold singlet. At the high school’s entrance, there’s a banner honoring the team’s state-runner up finish last year. But when he was tabbed as by the Ohio High School Wrestling Coaches’ Associations Division II Coach of the Year, it was one accolade he was reluctant to embrace.
“It’s great recognition for the program, but it’s a little uncomfortable to take all the credit,” Conley said. “I’m just one person rowing the boat, you know?”
The word uncomfortable came up frequently in his discussion of the award. From his point of view, it’s another way his team is being recognized, but he isn’t wild about the Coach of the Year label. He got word of his selection in early December. His staff found out soon after and word trickled down to the team. Conley had texts and letters in his mailbox at the school congratulating him — with some senders knowing full well he’d find it irksome.
The Canfield Local School District wanted the coach to submit a biography so that it could write a press release. He did so the first week of January, the same time as the deadline to give a bio for the OHSAA’s media guide for the individual wrestling state tournament.
Conley will be formally recognized in Columbus during the state tournament, which runs March 9-11.
“It was the beginning of the wrestling season and we’re focused on the schedule and training,” Conley said of the announcement’s timing. “We’re trying to get our team ready and finally our superintendent said, ‘Dean, you gotta do this. It’s positive PR for the district and for your team. Don’t think about it as just yourself.’
“I said ‘I know, but I don’t feel comfortable with that.’ ”
In his 18 years with the Cardinals, the Canfield wrestling program has become a vast operation. Besides the head coach, there are 11 assistant coaches across the high school down to the youth levels. Conley credits his wife Michelle and daughter Alex, along with the families of the wrestlers and fellow coaches, for the team’s success.
Conley makes it work by having both his coaches and players help each other out across the grade levels in both directions and he isn’t afraid to delegate.
“When I was young and first got to Canfield, I didn’t have that type of confidence. I was afraid that I had to be the person that did everything and I was wrong,” Conley said. “I look back at my earlier years where I should have let my assistant coaches handle something. Now I let them do it and they have ownership in it.”
The example for this is current reigning state champion and Ironman winner Georgio Poullas. Conley defers to assistant coach Stephen Pitts.
“With his personality, he’s closer with [Pitts] than he is to me and I’ve known Georgio since he was 6 years old. I’ve had his brothers, but he’s closer to coach Pitts,” Conley said. “When you’re at big tournaments, you take that into consideration and you can’t take that personally. You have to do what’s best for the kid and what gives him the best chance to win.
“Having a large staff allows the kids to pick who they feel the most comfortable with, which is really neat.”
Conley holds a career dual-meet record of 201-96, with his team going 9-2 this year. In 2016, Canfield set a new school record for district champions and state qualifiers with four and six. The Cardinals compete in the Eastern Ohio Wrestling League championships today and Saturday at Austintown Fitch High School.
“I’m very grateful to be considered, but the first thing I have to do with it is buy 11 copies and give it to my staff,” Conley said. “It should be coaching staff of the year. Any coach will tell you that ever won anything like this that it’s the people around you.”