THE WRESTLER

Bob was born in Oceanside, NY and raised in Valley Stream, NY his first 18 years.  His father was killed in a truck accident when he was just a year old.  His brother Steve, who was eleven years older, helped guide Bob toward sports.

Bob started wrestling in the 5th and 6th grades.  In junior high he met his scholastic coach, Harold Earl, who became a Hall of Fame coach.  As a 7th grader Bob attended a Long Island Wrestling Championship at the famed Mepham High School in Bellmore, NY.  The gym floor was covered with small gym mats that were pushed together and then covered with a mat cover.  Valley Stream Central, which was the district Bob would attend, had five Long Island Champions.  At this point, sitting shoulder to shoulder in a packed hot gym, he was sold on wrestling and wanted to be like those guys, a LI champ!  The performance by Central in the LI Wrestling Championships raised the bar for the program and for future central teams.  Bob's junior high wrestling career was as impressive, he pinned every opponent but one!

Bob Emmons had a stellar high school career at Valley Stream Central.  He was a member of the first undefeated team in 32 years. He was All League 4 times, of which he was a two time league champion.  He was four times All County, twice being a runner-up.  In addition, he placed fourth twice in the Long Island Championships. 

THE COACH

Bob Emmons coached at several schools before coaching the Baymen.  His first coaching job was as an assistant during his senior year in college at Stanley High School in Fargo, ND in 1965.  The school had two league champions and a wrestler who placed third in the their state tournament.  Bob's first head coaching job was in Manville, NJ in 1966 where they hadn't won a match in three years.  Bob was there for one year and the team improved to 3-9.  The next year they won a championship under a new coach.

Bob's next job was at Kings Park, NY in 1968.  His first year there he assisted Hall of Fame coach John Smith and they had one county champion.  The next year Emmons was the head coach and the team went 9-3.  An interesting side bar; during Bob's first year at Kings Park he recruited a guy named Jack Spates to the wrestling team while he was on cafeteria duty!  Spates did well his first year placing 2nd in the league tournament.  Unfortunately for Emmons, after his 10th grade year, Spates moved with his family to Smithtown (East) where he eventually won the NY State wrestling tournament in 1970 at 107 lbs. Spates went on to be an outstanding head coach of Oklahoma University. 

After Kings Park, Emmons became an assistant coach of the East Hampton wrestling team under Ted Meyer in 1975.  They won the league championship his first year there.  The following year Bob was interim head coach due to Meyer becoming ill.  The team finished with a 4-3 record.  They had one wrestler (Kalbacher) take 2nd in the Suffolk County championships.

Bob landed in Hampton Bays in 1980 and would be Mike Fitzgerald's trusted assistant for another 20 years.  Together they coached 9 league championship teams, 3 Suffolk County Class B championship teams, 30 Suffolk County place-winners, 6 Suffolk County champions and 6 NY State place-winners.

Emmons last coaching destination brought him to Westhampton Beach in 2002, an arch rival of Hampton Bays back in the old days.  He spent nine years assisting Paul Bass.  They won the league championship 2 years and came close in four other years.  They had 4 Suffolk County champions, about 20 Suffolk County place-winners and 5 NY State place-winners.  

Bob Emmons dedicated his life to the sport of wrestling, involved as a wrestler or coach for over 50 years.  His love for the sport and dedication to coaching helped mold many wrestlers into champions.

Robert Emmons was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Friday, April 24, 2015.  The induction ceremony was held at the Mariott Hotel, 1350 Walt Whitman Road, Melville, NY 11747.  To view Bob's hall of fame pre-ceremony interview click on the following link: http://friendsoflongislandwrestling.com/?CID=55.  To view Bob's hall of fame biography click here http://www.friendsoflongislandwrestling.com/pdf/Emmons.pdf.