Antonio Russo
Antonio "Tony" Russo is an Italian American wrestler, teacher, and coach in the state of Oregon. He was born in Roccarainola, Italy in 1940 and immigrated to the U.S. as a 10-year-old child on the USS Independence, alone with just the shirt on his back and a suitcase filled with salami and provolone cheese. After spending time in Brooklyn, New York, he was sent for by an uncle in Portland, Oregon, and Portland is where he would settle.
Antonio graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland and eventually went on to attend Arizona State University. In his years as a collegiate athlete, he was a Western Athletic Conference champion for Arizona State as well as a finalist in the 1964 Olympic Trials. He was the alternate in his weight class that year. Tony was appointed team captain of the Sun Devils' wrestling squad, helping lead them, along with Coach Ted Bredehoft, to a Western Athletic Conference team title in 1965.
Coach Russo is celebrated as one of America’s most successful high school wrestling coaches. With over 30 years of coaching experience—19 of which were at Newberg High School—he established a remarkable legacy. Under his guidance, the Newberg High School wrestling team achieved 7 Oregon State Championships and 17 District Championships, along with 7 Oregon Classic Championships.
Tony coached 92 district champions, 46 state placers, 24 state runners-up, and 22 state champions, with 5 of his wrestlers earning High School All-American recognition. His coaching record at Newberg stands impressively at 318 wins, 38 losses, and 1 tie.
In 1986, he received the title of Oregon All-Sport Coach of the Year, followed by the Oregon Wrestling Coach of the Year award in both 1987 and 1991. In 1994, he was named the Oregon Wrestling Classic Man of the Year. The nation took notice when he was nominated for National Coach of the Year in 1987, and Amateur Wrestling News ranked the Tigers of Newberg 2nd in the nation.
His significant contributions to wrestling were honored in 2003 with an induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, where he received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award. Tony Russo’s inspiring coaching legacy is an enduring influence on high school wrestling in the state of Oregon and across the nation.
