New Salem wrestling coach Israel
is no stranger to Rocks' program

BY ED WRIGHT
July 7, 2010, 4:15 p.m.

  There is little question that if he were alive today, legendary Salem wrestling coach Ron Krueger would approve of the decision to make Pete Israel just the third head coach in the school's 38-year history.

  Israel, who earned All-State honors while wrestling for Krueger in 1990, brings to the job a deep-seed loyalty for the school, appreciation of the program's history and a high level of knowledge - traits he shared with his former coach.

  "It's a great honor," said Israel, who was hired to succeed former coach Greg Woochuk on June 16. "It's humbling to be selected as just the the third wrestling coach in the school's history. There is a lot of responsibility that goes with this job. It's a great program with a very strong alumni base."

  Israel, who has been an assistant coach at Salem since 1997, learned about coaching not only from his days with Krueger, but also while playing football for Hall of Fame coach Tom Moshimer.

  "Having competed for both those guys, I know about all the tradition at this school," said Israel. "I will put a lot of pressure on myself to uphold that tradition and make this program the best it can be."

  Israel said his history with the Salem wrestling program will make the transition to the head-coaching position that much smoother.

  "Greg (Woochuk) and I know each other well, so that will help," said Israel. "It's a good time to coach with the middle-school wrestling programs going strong in Plymouth and Canton, and our youth wrestling program is growing.

  "We're able to work at a quicker pace in practice now because a lot of the kids who are coming into the program have been wrestling for several years. In fact, some of our incoming freshmen will have more matches under their belts than some of our seniors."

  Israel is excited about the talented roster he is inheriting.

  "For one, Nick Kim placed in the state meet two years ago," said Israel. "We also have some strong seniors coming back, some good juniors and I'm really impressed with our sophomore class."

  Israel's wrestling resume is impressive. After finishing sixth in the state at 171 pounds in 1990, he went on to wrestle three years at Eastern Michigan University. In 2002, he won an Amateur Athletic Union Folkstyle national championship.

  A resident of Canton, Israel is currently employed by Wyandotte-based BASF, where he serves as a human resources manager.

  Ed Wright can be reached at (734) 453-1980 or info@plymouthcantonsports.com.