The Schuylkill County sports community is mourning the loss of Joseph Cesari, the iconic North Schuylkill wrestling coach whose name became synonymous with excellence on the mat. Cesari passed away on Tuesday, at the age of 84.
Cesari's family posted the following message on social media early Tuesday morning.
Friends, it is with heavy heart that we share that our dad, Joe Cesari Sr., passed away peacefully today in Las Vegas, with his sons Joe Cesari Jr., Steve Cesari, and Mark Cesari by his side. Please pray for my mom and sister and our family. It’s been a day of experiencing the full range of human emotions. In honor of dad, we ask that you hug a loved one, mend a relationship, and find a really good buy one, get one free deal! We appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, kind words and stories and shared them with dad over the past few days. It is amazing to us how many lives he touched in his 84 years on earth.
Cesari’s coaching career spanned nearly three decades, from 1962 to 1989, during which he compiled an extraordinary record of 357-31-2. His 91.8% winning percentage remains the highest in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) wrestling history.
Cesari began his career at Cuba Central High School in New York, where he coached wrestling, football, and track. In 1964, he returned to Pennsylvania to coach at Ashland Area High School, where he introduced wrestling to the district at a time when basketball reigned supreme. Skeptics doubted the sport would last, but as crowds began filling gyms to watch wrestling over basketball, Cesari’s vision proved right.
Two years later, when Ashland, Frackville, and Ringtown merged to form the North Schuylkill School District, Cesari’s wrestling program found its permanent home.
At North Schuylkill, Cesari’s teams became a dynasty. He led the Spartans to 19 league championships, eight District 11 team titles, and five regional championships. They won PIAA state championships in 1983 and 1989, finished as state runners-up in 1986 and 1988, and were ranked among Pennsylvania’s top five programs for nearly a decade.
The 1983 team achieved perfection, finishing 27-0 and earning the Pennsylvania Dual Meet title. Cesari’s program produced eight undefeated seasons and earned national recognition with a four-page feature in Sports Illustrated on January 16, 1989.
He coached 10 individual state champions, including his sons Joe Jr., Mark, and Steve. Joe Jr. became a three-time state champion with a 154-5-1 career record; Steve earned one state title with a 155-22-2 record; and Mark claimed two championships with a 137-8 career record. All three went on to wrestle at North Carolina State University, where they were four-year lettermen.
Cesari’s influence extended far beyond the mat. He was named National High School Coach of the Year, Pennsylvania Coach of the Year four times (1982, 1983, 1987, 1989), and District 11 Coach of the Year on eight occasions.
His accolades include inductions into the Schuylkill County Hall of Fame (1982), the District 11 Hall of Fame (1987), the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1991), and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame (1992). He was also honored with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award.
Beyond the victories and championships, Cesari is remembered as a pioneer who introduced wrestling to the Ashland and North Schuylkill communities and built it into a program of statewide and national recognition. His leadership, dedication, and mentorship shaped the lives of countless athletes and left a mark on Pennsylvania wrestling that will never be forgotten.
Cesari began his career at Cuba Central High School in New York, where he coached wrestling, football, and track. In 1964, he returned to Pennsylvania to coach at Ashland Area High School, where he introduced wrestling to the district at a time when basketball reigned supreme. Skeptics doubted the sport would last, but as crowds began filling gyms to watch wrestling over basketball, Cesari’s vision proved right.
Two years later, when Ashland, Frackville, and Ringtown merged to form the North Schuylkill School District, Cesari’s wrestling program found its permanent home.
At North Schuylkill, Cesari’s teams became a dynasty. He led the Spartans to 19 league championships, eight District 11 team titles, and five regional championships. They won PIAA state championships in 1983 and 1989, finished as state runners-up in 1986 and 1988, and were ranked among Pennsylvania’s top five programs for nearly a decade.
The 1983 team achieved perfection, finishing 27-0 and earning the Pennsylvania Dual Meet title. Cesari’s program produced eight undefeated seasons and earned national recognition with a four-page feature in Sports Illustrated on January 16, 1989.
He coached 10 individual state champions, including his sons Joe Jr., Mark, and Steve. Joe Jr. became a three-time state champion with a 154-5-1 career record; Steve earned one state title with a 155-22-2 record; and Mark claimed two championships with a 137-8 career record. All three went on to wrestle at North Carolina State University, where they were four-year lettermen.
Cesari’s influence extended far beyond the mat. He was named National High School Coach of the Year, Pennsylvania Coach of the Year four times (1982, 1983, 1987, 1989), and District 11 Coach of the Year on eight occasions.
His accolades include inductions into the Schuylkill County Hall of Fame (1982), the District 11 Hall of Fame (1987), the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1991), and the National High School Sports Hall of Fame (1992). He was also honored with the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award.
Beyond the victories and championships, Cesari is remembered as a pioneer who introduced wrestling to the Ashland and North Schuylkill communities and built it into a program of statewide and national recognition. His leadership, dedication, and mentorship shaped the lives of countless athletes and left a mark on Pennsylvania wrestling that will never be forgotten.