Building the Falcon Fight: Coach Gennaro Bonaventura on Fairmont State Wrestling - Airey Bros Radio – Episode 367
Join episode 367 of Airey Bros Radio, where we go Belly to Belly with Coach Gennaro Bonaventura, head wrestling coach at Fairmont State University (streamed live May 27). Discover how he’s elevated the Falcons with back-to-back third-place finishes at the MEC Championships, NCAA DII national qualifiers each season, and strong Academic All-Americans.
We dive into:
⏱️ Show Notes & Timestamps0:00 - Intro & live stream setup0:05Coach G's multi‑divisional start & DIII exposure
0:49 - Fairmont State reboot and early days
1:18 - Guest connection: Coach Boland link7:04Coaching origin & athletic family background
7:52 - Balancing football & wrestling in college
13:25 - Thoughts on multisport athletes and recruiting
17:16 - Transition to Fairmont State & rebuilding a program
20:03 - Recruiting in WV, PA, MD & OH — “the Whipio” region
26:00 - DII vs DIII differences & scholarship dynamics
32:02 - “Ahead of schedule”: 34 dual wins in 3 seasons
33:44 - Next steps: targeting St. Cloud, Lander & NE…
41:24 - Defining success: character over medals
43:05 - "Once you wrestle, everything in life is easier.”
45:16 - Role of team culture & fun in retention
46:46 - Fairmont’s pitch: competition, campus & open roles
48:18 - Leadership evolution: head coach lessons
51:52 - Coaching family & podcast partnership with his twin
55:03 - D3 Nation podcast highlights
57:54 - Coaches friendly rivalry: Fairmont vs Stevens Tech
1:01:56 - Daily life: dad duties, routines & energy drinks
1:03:31 - Guilty pleasure sushi in WV
1:06:45 - Final thoughts — expanding support beyond D1
We dive into:
- 🛠️ Building a DII wrestling program from scratch
- 🎓 Balancing academics, athlete development & grit
- 🏆 Lessons from DIII All-Americans & NCAA champs
- 🎯 Recruiting mindset across West Virginia, PA’s WPIAL & beyond
- 🤼♂️ Team culture, multisport benefits & summer camps
⏱️ Show Notes & Timestamps0:00 - Intro & live stream setup0:05Coach G's multi‑divisional start & DIII exposure
0:49 - Fairmont State reboot and early days
1:18 - Guest connection: Coach Boland link7:04Coaching origin & athletic family background
7:52 - Balancing football & wrestling in college
13:25 - Thoughts on multisport athletes and recruiting
17:16 - Transition to Fairmont State & rebuilding a program
20:03 - Recruiting in WV, PA, MD & OH — “the Whipio” region
26:00 - DII vs DIII differences & scholarship dynamics
32:02 - “Ahead of schedule”: 34 dual wins in 3 seasons
33:44 - Next steps: targeting St. Cloud, Lander & NE…
41:24 - Defining success: character over medals
43:05 - "Once you wrestle, everything in life is easier.”
45:16 - Role of team culture & fun in retention
46:46 - Fairmont’s pitch: competition, campus & open roles
48:18 - Leadership evolution: head coach lessons
51:52 - Coaching family & podcast partnership with his twin
55:03 - D3 Nation podcast highlights
57:54 - Coaches friendly rivalry: Fairmont vs Stevens Tech
1:01:56 - Daily life: dad duties, routines & energy drinks
1:03:31 - Guilty pleasure sushi in WV
1:06:45 - Final thoughts — expanding support beyond D1
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