Ron Russo began his wrestling career at Seaford High School under the tutelage of Robert Gerbino, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Downstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.

Ron was a four-year starter from 1962 to 1965 and team tri-captain as a senior.

Ron continued his wrestling career at Bloomsburg State College where his coach was Russ Houk, who was the assistant coach and manager of the United States Olympic teams from 1972 to 1976. Ron was a three-year starter for the Huskies and co-captain as a senior. He won the Pennsylvania State College championship in 1968 and 1969 while also earning the Pennsylvania state crown.

On the national level, he was the NAIA national champion in 1969 after finishing second in 1968. Ron was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American after finishing sixth and fourth, respectively, in 1968 and 1969.

He also qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1968 and finished fourth, losing to the legendary Dan Gable.

Ron ended his wrestling career in the East-West All-America meet at Penn State University where he sealed the East team's victory when he defeated NCAA runner-up Lenny Groom. The official for their match was Pascal Perri, who was honored by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Meritorious Official in 1995.

Ron was also honored by Bloomsburg with the Redman Trophy presented annually to the school's top athlete.

He began his coaching career at Cortland State University as an assistant coach for Vince Gonno. Cortland State won the dual meet portion of the State University of New York Athletic Conference and finished second in the conference tournament. Ron coached Mike Davey, who received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Downstate New York Chapter in 2011.

Ron began coaching at the Division I level when Jerry Seckler offered him the opportunity to be an assistant coach at Columbia University, beginning a 21-year relationship. Ron also had the chance to wrestle for the New York Athletic Club for Bill Farrell, a Distinguished Member inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member in 1987 and the coach of the 1972 Olympic team. Ron won two Senior Metropolitan and two Eastern AAU titles while finishing fourth at the AAU national tournament, and he helped the NYAC win both the Eastern AAU and national AAU championships.

He coached teams that captured three consecutive Ivy League titles from 1980 to 1982 while compiling a 134-91-2 dual record, including a 60-35 record in the Ancient Eight. Ron helped coach 26 first-time All-Ivy selections, 26 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association place-winners, including Eastern champion Steve Hassenfus, and two NCAA Division I All-Americans, Jerry Reid and Dave Galdi.

He also coached Andy Barth, who was honored as an Outstanding American by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012, and George Stephanopoulos, a Rhodes Scholar who was communications director for President Bill Clinton and later chief anchor and the chief political correspondent for ABC News.

Ron was named New York State Coach of the Year in 1981 and was inducted into the New York Coaches Hall of Fame in 1993. He was inducted into the Bloomsburg Hall of Fame in 1985, and, following his retirement from Columbia, was presented the heralded Columbia Lion award by the Varsity C club.

Ron also worked as an assistant coach and interpreter for National Wrestling Coaches Association All-America teams that participated in the Trofeo di Milone, winning the title in 1989 and finishing second in 1990. Wrestlers on the team included Olympic medalists and Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Zeke Jones, Tom Brands, Terry Brands and Kurt Angle.

Following his retirement from Columbia, Ron moved to Michigan where he was asked to help save a high school wrestling program. Twenty years later he continued to coach Kalamazoo Central High School, winning over 200 matches, five conference titles, four district crowns and four Greater Kalamazoo county championships. His teams have also achieved six All-State Academic titles.