For the past 59, soon 60 years, Domenick Iammarino has worked as a wrestling coach in some capacity.
And on September 8, Coach Iammarino’s legacy will be remembered forever when Beachwood High School renames its wrestling room in his honor.
The renaming of the room symbolizes Coach Iammarino’s lasting influence on his student-athletes during his decades as a coach.
“It’s more than the plaques and the name on the wall,” Iammarino said. “My time is coming to an end and I’m fortunate to be connected with a lot of former wrestlers. The kids got something out of it and they were grateful that I helped them during their years as a student-athlete and even beyond.”
Iammarino, co-captain of the 1962 Kent State wrestling team, will attend the ceremony.
“One day I’m not going to be here; I’m not going to live forever,” Iammarino said. “My family can still see (the name on the wall) while I’m still here, and I feel good about that. One day, 10, 20, 30 years from now, people will look up and see this. That’s the overwhelming thought.”
According to Beachwood Schools, the renovated wrestling room will “showcase Beachwood wrestling history using a timeline from 1964 to the present. It will feature a mural highlighting all teams from 1964 to 2024, as well as state qualifiers and place winners. Improvements to the room include inspirational quotes and a special area to honor and recognize former students. Documentation on the history of Beachwood wrestling will be embedded in the walls of the wrestling room and posted online.”
On the mat, Coach Iammarino has produced 13 state champions, 13 state runners-up and 22 individual district champions. He has also been named Ohio Coach of the Year twice and inducted into the Ohio Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame.
“I’m proud of their accomplishments, there’s no doubt about that,” Iammarino said. “I feel like I’ve contributed to what they’ve accomplished, but I realize it’s more than just my contribution. It’s their hard work; the assistant coaches who have helped them, their families and their teammates have helped as well. It’s more than what I’ve done; while I’m proud to have helped them along the way, there’s no doubt there’s more to it than just a coach.”
There is perhaps no better example of this than the publication of a story by one of his former wrestlers in which he described in detail how much Coach Iammarino helped him in his life and career.
“One of my former wrestlers wrote an article,” Iammarino said. “Mike Goldberg is now a successful attorney in Cleveland and he wrote an article that was published in the Cleveland Jewish News. In it he talks about how I shaped his life. He finished second in the state. I think I helped him with what he accomplished in wrestling, but he wrote this article about how I shaped his career and his life. That makes me feel good.”
Coach I has also influenced people in the immediate area, such as current Beachwood athletic director Ryan Peters, who was once an assistant under Iammarino.
“I have an older brother who wrestled for Coach Iammarino,” Peters said. “I was the little brother that came to everything, and I started wrestling when I was five, so I was out and about a lot and saw a lot of our great Beachwood wrestlers. I had a unique perspective, having grown up with the history of Beachwood wrestling. Coach Iammarino was a teacher at Beachwood when I was wrestling, and I saw him every day. I took his classes and just his presence had a tremendous impact. When I went to college and came back, I started training alongside Coach I. We trained together for about 11 or 12 years, and that was the time I grew personally and professionally. I learned a ton from him in every way. His teachings and his demeanor helped advance my career and our entire athletic department. He had a tremendous impact on me.”
For sixty years, it was the sport itself that kept Iammarino on the mat.
“I love the sport,” he said. “I love the competition, I know it does a lot for the kids. Over the years I’ve heard so many comments from former wrestlers who talk about it and say that just the fact that they wrestled has helped them in their lives. It’s helped them deal with some things and be disciplined. I like that aspect of it too, helping the kids and helping myself.”
On Friday, Sept. 6, Iammarino will flip the coin before Beachwood’s football game against St. John and participate in a halftime ceremony honoring Beachwood’s state wrestling champions.
