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Iona Prep wrestling will have a new face and voice in the corner this coming season.
The Gaels recently announced Jacob Ferreira as their new head coach, succeeding Tom Straehle, who retired.
Most recently, the 26-year-old Ferreira was an assistant coach at Horace Greeley, his alma mater. He was Section 1 champion in 2017 at 170 pounds and again at 182 pounds, advancing to the state final in 2018. Ferreira went on to compete at Bucknell, N.C. State and Hofstra, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for Hofstra in 2023. He now teaches social studies at Bronx Dance Academy.
Straehle, 62, established the Iona Prep program in 2006 and earned his 300th dual meet victory last December.
"It means a lot," Ferreira said. "I've always wanted to be a head wrestling coach, especially at a storied program like Iona Prep. I think I'm ready for the challenge."
Straehle said it was simply time to retire, having sold his house in Mahopac and moved to Seaside Heights, New Jersey. He said he'd been considering it since his wife Sharon died on Jan. 6, 2025 in the middle of a season. But he entered the 2025-26 season with 298 career victories and didn't want to walk away just shy of a milestone. But, he said, if he put off the retirement again, he didn't know that he'd ever leave.
"The team is in great shape," Straehle said, noting he would still be wrestling chairman of the CHSAA. "We left the team where we wanted it."
The Gaels have several accomplished wrestlers returning to the lineup in 2026-27, led by Shane Degl, who placed fourth at 138 pounds in the New York State tournament.
Also expected back are Dorian Hidalgo, Fotis Koufalis, Ralphie Rodriguez, Lorenzo Gunzer and Malcolm Davis. Transferring to Iona Prep from Section 9's Port Jervis will be Benjamin Rivera, who competed in the Div. II state tournament last season.
Youth will likely work to Ferreira's benefit as he's not far removed from competing at a high level, so he can be active on the mat, especially with his larger wrestlers. He also coaches and formerly wrestled at Empire Wrestling Academy in Somers, where a number of Gaels do their club training.
"Being around some of these guys 12 months a year, I have a special connection with the wrestlers that not every coach will have," Ferreira said. "I get to watch their training and also wrestle with them."
Before Straehle started coaching wrestling at Iona Prep in 2006, the school had club wrestling for some periods, but it was largely a dormant program.
In 2026, it's a program that schools like Blair Academy, Wyoming Seminary, Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic have interest in measuring their wrestlers against for top-notch competition. Last season, Iona Prep hosted a super quad meet in December against Bosco, Bishop Hendricken from Rhode Island and St. Anthony's from Long Island.
"I think I kind of built the legacy," Straehle said. "Everybody knows that basketball, football and baseball were kind of the kingpin sports (at Iona Prep). Hopefully, we made wrestling, maybe not their equal, but pretty close.
"We established ourselves as one of the better teams in the state."
Phil Strum is local sports editor for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Jacob Ferreira hired as Straehle retires as Iona Prep wrestling coach
Continue reading...
The Gaels recently announced Jacob Ferreira as their new head coach, succeeding Tom Straehle, who retired.
Most recently, the 26-year-old Ferreira was an assistant coach at Horace Greeley, his alma mater. He was Section 1 champion in 2017 at 170 pounds and again at 182 pounds, advancing to the state final in 2018. Ferreira went on to compete at Bucknell, N.C. State and Hofstra, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for Hofstra in 2023. He now teaches social studies at Bronx Dance Academy.
Straehle, 62, established the Iona Prep program in 2006 and earned his 300th dual meet victory last December.
"It means a lot," Ferreira said. "I've always wanted to be a head wrestling coach, especially at a storied program like Iona Prep. I think I'm ready for the challenge."
Straehle said it was simply time to retire, having sold his house in Mahopac and moved to Seaside Heights, New Jersey. He said he'd been considering it since his wife Sharon died on Jan. 6, 2025 in the middle of a season. But he entered the 2025-26 season with 298 career victories and didn't want to walk away just shy of a milestone. But, he said, if he put off the retirement again, he didn't know that he'd ever leave.
"The team is in great shape," Straehle said, noting he would still be wrestling chairman of the CHSAA. "We left the team where we wanted it."
Who's back for Iona Prep wrestling?
The Gaels have several accomplished wrestlers returning to the lineup in 2026-27, led by Shane Degl, who placed fourth at 138 pounds in the New York State tournament.
Also expected back are Dorian Hidalgo, Fotis Koufalis, Ralphie Rodriguez, Lorenzo Gunzer and Malcolm Davis. Transferring to Iona Prep from Section 9's Port Jervis will be Benjamin Rivera, who competed in the Div. II state tournament last season.
Youth will likely work to Ferreira's benefit as he's not far removed from competing at a high level, so he can be active on the mat, especially with his larger wrestlers. He also coaches and formerly wrestled at Empire Wrestling Academy in Somers, where a number of Gaels do their club training.
"Being around some of these guys 12 months a year, I have a special connection with the wrestlers that not every coach will have," Ferreira said. "I get to watch their training and also wrestle with them."
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Tom Straehle's legacy as Iona Prep coach
Before Straehle started coaching wrestling at Iona Prep in 2006, the school had club wrestling for some periods, but it was largely a dormant program.
In 2026, it's a program that schools like Blair Academy, Wyoming Seminary, Don Bosco Prep and Bergen Catholic have interest in measuring their wrestlers against for top-notch competition. Last season, Iona Prep hosted a super quad meet in December against Bosco, Bishop Hendricken from Rhode Island and St. Anthony's from Long Island.
"I think I kind of built the legacy," Straehle said. "Everybody knows that basketball, football and baseball were kind of the kingpin sports (at Iona Prep). Hopefully, we made wrestling, maybe not their equal, but pretty close.
"We established ourselves as one of the better teams in the state."
Phil Strum is local sports editor for The Journal News/lohud.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Jacob Ferreira hired as Straehle retires as Iona Prep wrestling coach
Continue reading...
