Toms River East's Reid Honored At Wrestling Championships

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ -- When it comes to Shore Conference wrestling, there are a few folks who are fixtures in the sport.

Warren Reid is one of them.

Reid has been the Toms River East Raiders wrestling coach for 37 years. During that time, Reid has mentored hundreds of wrestlers during those years, including some well-known names in the sport: Vinnie DelleFave, Devin Mesanko, Vin Salek and, the best-known Toms River East wrestler Frankie Edgar.

On Sunday afternoon, Reid was honored for his contributions to high school wrestling in New Jersey with the Harry E. Lake Award, which was presented before the finals at the NJSIAA Individual Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City.

Reid, who was hired as a physical education and health teacher at Toms River East when it opened its doors in 1979, has been the school's only head wrestling coach and has amassed a record of 385-297-7 in dual meets over his career, as well as eight District 24 titles and the Shore Conference championship three times, according to a biography of the coach in the NJSIAA wrestling championships program.

His teams have included 11 wrestlers who achieved 100 career victories -- Edgar (107), DelleFave (145), Mesanko (112) and Salek (105), as well as Richard Lewis (120), Matt Frank (112), Justin Molzon (112), Bryan Sternlieb (111) , Adam Henig (110), Joe Mormile (100) and Anthony Sherman (100). Under his guidance, his wrestlers have won 74 District 24 championships and 36 Region VI championships, 30 state placewinners (including Andrew Meyers, who earned silver on Sunday after Reid was honored) and six state champions.

Reid was voted NJSIAA Coach of the Year in 1985, and District 24 and Region VI Coach of the Year in 1994, the NJSIAA program said. He also has been inducted into the Region V and VI Halls of Fame, the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame, the Toms River Regional Schools Hall of Fame, New Jersey Scholastic Coaches Association Hall of Fame, National Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame and he is the 1988 recipient of the John J. Hallisey Memorial Award.

Reid, who also coached the New Jersey Junior National Greco-Roman and freestyle teams for 28 years (three as head coach), got his start in the sport as a wrestler at Bridgewater Raritan West High School, where he was a district champion and a Region V runner-up his senior year. After graduating from Bridgewater Raritan West in 1963, Reid joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was a wrestler for the Marines, going undefeated in competition during his last two years of military service, the program said.

Upon receiving his honorable discharge, Reid spent two years at Phoenix Junior College in Arizona, where he was an All-American in 1971 after placing fourth at 167 pounds at the Junior College Nationals. After graduating from Phoenix Junior College, Reid enrolled at the University of Oklahoma, where he earned All-America honors twice, by placing fifth in 1972 and then fourth at 177 pounds in 1973, according to the program.

After his second year at Oklahoma, Reid was recruited to become an assistant wrestling coach at the University of Alabama and completed his degree in physical education and health at Alabama in 1976.

Reid returned to New Jersey, working as a substitute teacher at the Arthur Brisbane Child Treatment Center in Farmingdale before joining the staff of former Toms River High School South coach John DeMarco as an assistant, the program said.

In addition to wrestling, Reid has served as an assistant coach in football and gymnastics.

During matches, "Reid can be seen near the mat, whistling, screaming, red faced, animated and adorned with a white towel around his neck. However, those who put on a Raider singlet or those lucky enough to call him a friend know that Coach Reid is more than wrestling; he is the salt of the earth and often described as dedicated, competitive, and a task master in the wrestling community," the tribute in the NJSIAA program said.

"While wins, losses, and titles often define a coach, Reid finds great satisfaction in knowing that no matter if you won a state title or never won a match, the lessons learned continue to influence so many lives," the tribute read. "Those who are close to him know a side of him not seen by most: a loyal friend, a man of unwavering integrity, calm by nature, gentle and reserved."

Reid lives in Toms River with his wife of 22 years, Maureen, and has two sons: Steve, a, IT network administrator in Lakewood, and Brett, a Barnegat Township police officer, and four grandchildren, two of whom joined him on the mat for the awards presentation.

(Toms River East head coach Warren Reid receives the Harry E. Lake Award for outstanding contribution to New Jersey scholastic wrestling from NJSIAA wrestling tournament director Howie O'Neill on Sunday, flanked by two of Reid's grandsons. Karen Wall photo)