Chris Piel
September 07, 1972 - Present
Chris has been coaching wrestling for over 27 years and has been the head coach at New Milford High for the past 17. Chris began as a high school wrestler in California and continued wrestling in college, where he was a two-year starter at Skyline College, under Hall of Fame and Olympian Lee Allen. Chris moved onward to become the head wrestling coach at St. Ignatius Prep in San Francisco for two years, before relocating to Connecticut.
In Connecticut, it didn't take long for Chris to seek out local wresting, and he found his way to the New Milford High School. It was there that he was lucky enough to get introduced to Hall of Fame coach, Patrick Burns, and then head coach Darryl Daniels. Chris worked with these gentlemen as a volunteer coach for the wrestling team
for seven years. He then became the assistant coach the following three years and ultimately attained the position of head coach in 2008.
During his time with New Milford, his wrestling teams have won five state championships, 15 Southwest Conference championships, and over 200 dual meets. Chris has coached eight All-American wrestlers, three New England champions, eight State Open champions, and 20 state champions.
Chris was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association's (NWCA) Coach of the Year in 2010 and has received the State Coach of the Year Award from the Connecticut High School Coaches Association five times, most recently in 2016.
Chris is also a huge supporter of youth wrestling and feeder programs. He started Sherman Knights Wrestling at his town's Sherman School, for grades Kindergarten through eighth, and he spends all available time as a volunteer coach and mentor for the New Milford Wrestling Association.
Chris and his wife, Alexandra, live in Sherman, Connecticut and have three children - Maximus (age 20), Sameena (age 18), and Josephina (age 15). Chris is fortunate to have had all of his children involved in New Milford High School wrestling, as athletes, statistician and assistant coach.
Posted by the Connecticut Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, May 2025
Photo taken April 26, 2025
Awards:
Year
2025
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Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
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Chapter/Region
Connecticut
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