Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State Wrestling Legacy
11/17/1999 12:00:00 AM | Wrestling
Coaching
In his 23rd year, Dennis DeLiddo is the longest running tenure of any head coach at Fresno State. He has guided many wrestlers to All-America accolades and shaped a thriving wrestling program during his reign. Familiar names he molded into wrestling stars are Yero Washington, Harold and Dewayne Zinkin, and Gerry and Stephen Abas. DeLiddo has compiled a 296-152-5 record in 22 years, a .653 winning percentage.
DeLiddo's trusty assistant, Gerry Abas, has been with the team since 1992. He wrestled from 1992-95 when he was a four-time All-American on a Bulldog team loaded with talent. Abas began coaching the next year and is now in his ninth year as an assistant. With DeLiddo and Abas working together, the Fresno State teams have only grown better. The Bulldogs are consistently ranked in the top 25 and in the last three seasons, three Bulldog wrestlers have earned All-American honors.
Individual Honors
Fresno State boasts 104 individual conference/regional champions since 1962. The most recent Bulldog great was Stephen Abas, who wrestled from 1997-02. He won four conference/regional titles, was a four-time All-American and three-time national champion. The latest up-and-coming wrestler in the program is junior Marcio Botelho. Last season as a sophomore, Botelho finished eighth at the NCAA Championships and became an All-American.
The Team Thing
The Bulldogs dominated the Western Athletic Conference from 1992-99. In its seven years in the WAC, the team placed first all but one year. Now in the West Region, Fresno State has consistently placed in the top three. The Bulldogs have also faired well at the NCAA Championships. Under DeLiddo's direction, Fresno State has 11 top 25 finishes. The team's best finish came in 1993 when it took eighth.
