Dave began his wrestling career at eleven years old in Blairstown, New Jersey. It was there that his passion for wrestling, teaching and learning began.

Dave wrestled at North Warren Regional High School. He then went on to spend a year at Blair Academy as a postgraduate student athlete. There he was a New Jersey State Prep School champion as well as a National Prep School tournament finalist.

At Springfield College, Dave was a four-year varsity starter, under the Wrestling Hall of Fame coach Doug Parker. He was a team captain during his junior and senior seasons and placed in the regional tournament all four college seasons. Dave also spent two additional years at Springfield as an assistant coach with Coach Parker.

Wrestling then took Dave back to his home state of New Jersey. He became the head coach at Belvidere High School (1990-1993). Dave had the pleasure of coaching many district and regional placers, a New Jersey state runner up and an All-American.

Dave then took a position as an assistant coach at Pomperaug High School, while completing his Master's Degree at Southern Connecticut State University. At Pomperaug, Dave had the opportunity to coach several state and State Open place winners.

In 1998, Dave landed at Nonnewaug High School where he became a teacher and continued coaching as an assistant coach under Hall of Fame inductee John Lawless. In December 2000, Dave became the head coach at Nonnewaug.

He has continued the exceptional program at Nonnewaug. Dave's teams have won a league record fourteen Berkshire League Titles, a Class S state championship (2004) and have finished in the top three in Class S on three other occasions. His teams have won more than three hundred dual meets, the most in school history. Dave has coached many state champions, two State Open champions, one New England champion and five New England medalists.

Dave recently retired as a Health and Physical Education teacher at Nonnewaug, where he has impacted the lives of so many students both on and off the mat. Dave continues to coach wrestling and enjoys the challenges and joys of working with young people.

Dave and his wife Lisa, of thirty years, live in Naugatuck and have three children: Olivia, Allison and David Jr.

Posted by the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, May 2025