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Cook had many influences to mold his coaching and wrestling career

7 min read

The intense desire to bring the Canon-McMillan High School wrestling team back to the top of the WPIAL required a coach with a large profile, charisma, smarts, guts and a willingness to coach his kids hard – every one of them.

One guy back in 1980 was the perfect fit. Dave Cook.

The aura of Big Macs’ wrestling and returning the program back to the top lured Cook from his alma mater, Chartiers-Houston.

In his third season at the helm, Cook led the 1982-83 Big Macs to the WPIAL Class AAA team championship. Canon-McMillan after 30 years had its golden moment.

“My leaving Chartiers-Houston was somewhat driven by financial consideration,” said Cook, a 1967 graduate. “Mostly, it was a desire to see if I could do it at Canon-McMillan.

“I lost a couple friends – that I’ve since gained back – when I made that move. A couple of my close friends didn’t talk to me. It was tough on me because I loved Chartiers-Houston. It was a professional challenge I had to take.”

In addition to the title in 1983, Cook’s Big Macs added another WPIAL championship in 1985. In his six seasons at Canon-McMillan, the Big Macs also finished as WPIAL runners-up twice, PIAA runner-up once, captured four section championships and were two-time champions of the prestigious Manheim Tournament.

“He was no nonsense,” said Ray Phillips, a member of the ’83 team. “The program was like a machine once he got it rolling. He had a great capacity to get the best out of guys, some who didn’t think they could do it. After two years, 70 kids came out just to put that singlet on. He motivated beyond. . . He was a master.”

In 1985, Cook helped the Big Macs to their 600th program victory.

He compiled a 101-17-1 record at Canon-McMillan, an .845 winning percentage. He left as the second winningest coach in Big Macs’ wrestling history. He spent a couple years building a program at Ringgold (1975-1976 and 1976-1977) before moving to Chartiers-Houston (1978-1979 and 1979-1980). All of that following a spectacular junior high stint at Wash High.

The cornerstone of Cook’s coaching success was his deft ability and willingness to coach each wrestler on his roster and to raise the expectations and work ethic of each wrestler in the room.

“That came from being around the late Stanley (Mousetis at Wash High) and Joe (Shook, former Trinity coach). I gave every kid in the room credit to come and practice every day. It’s not easy to tell a kid they can’t eat; they must practice in a room that 90 degrees and it’s going to be hell,” he said.

Phil Mary, a two-time state champion for the Bucs and later a successful coach for Chartiers-Houston and Peters Township, said Cook was a master of motivation and earning the respect of his wrestlers and peers.

“He got the best out of his wrestlers,” Mary said. “He built relationships. His kids knew he cared about them and worked them to be better. At Canon-McMillan he brought the kids that didn’t come from the greatest home situations and made them contributors, champions or part of a championship team.

“He made them feel special and they went out and did special things.”

Family matters

In addition to Mousetis, Cook credits his high school and collegiate coach, Frank Vulcano, Sr., high school coach Gene Bowman and his junior high coach Don Clendaniel for shaping him. All have passed away. The best of them lives in the 72-year-old Cook.

“I was blessed to be around the people who looked after me,” Cook said. “I was scared to death of Frank. He was so intimidating. Here I was a sophomore coming off Houston Hill and being thrown into the Chartiers-Houston lineup. Frank didn’t hold back.

“He took care of me. He was truly the first male figure in my life. The first male disciplinarian in my life. I loved the guy.”

After that season, Bowman became Chartiers-Houston’s coach.

Cook went on to be a two-time section champion and a section runnerup.

He won the WPIAL championship as a senior and was a PIAA runner-up, losing in the final on a referee’s decision. His high school record was 54-9.

With Bowman, literally in his corner, Cook rose to special heights.

“Gene treated me like a son,” Cook said. “Good and bad. I was tough to handle. Gene handled me. He was a wonderful role model. Early in my senior year, he read me the riot act. Then he made me think I was the best in the state.”

Darla Bowman, who worked with Cook when Cook coached and taught at Canon-McMillan, said her father had great affection for Cook and not only brought him into their home but into his heart.

“My dad brought Dave under his wing and treated him as a son,” Darla Bowman said. “My dad brought all his wrestlers to our home. Dave was different. My mom fed Dave a salad one day. It was the first salad Dave ever saw.

“Dave went to state and lost that referee’s decision in the finals. My dad knew exactly how he felt, and how it would feel going forward. The same things happened to my dad, lost in the state finals by referee’s decision. He could relate. They always had a connection and Dave never lost contact with him or our family.

“When my father passed away, we informed Dave (who lives in Georgia) that we were having a memorial on a certain day. Dave said he didn’t think he could make it home. He surprised us and showed up. David is a special kind of person. I have a lot of respect for him,” Darla Bowman said.

Frank Vulcano Jr. remembers his father talking about Cook as a wrestler for him at California State College and how tough he was as a wrestler.

“Dave was from Chartiers-Houston and that’s where we lived and my father used to go to Dave’s house over Christmas break to pick him up for practice. They had a lifetime relationship that felt like Dave was part of the family,” Vulcano said.

As a California Vulcan, Cook was a two-time conference champion and a conference runner-up. Cook was an NAIA qualifier and a third-place finisher in the NCAA Eastern Regional, national qualifier. He was an All-American and overall collegiate record was 48-9.

Cook stunned the local wrestling world when he announced his retirement after the 1986 season to accept a position with State Farm Insurance. He was 37-years-old and coached a relatively short 10 years. He finished with a 147-43-2 record (.771) career mark.

“It was time,” he said. “I accomplished what I wanted to. I wanted to do something different and wanted to watch my girls grow up and play their sports. You never get that back. I didn’t want to be coaching somewhere and my girls doing something and not seeing it. It was the best decision I made.”

He and his wife Pat’s three daughters – Kristyn, Karrie and Kelly – were all Division I athletes. Kristyn and Karrie played basketball at Syracuse and Marshall, respectively, and Kelly played lacrosse at Ohio State.

Far removed from wrestling, Cook plays golf two or three days a week. The legacy he left in wrestling remains as do many memories.

“He was a very accomplished wrestler and official,” Vulcano Jr. said. “I think his biggest impact on the sport was as a coach. His ability to motivate his kids to run through a wall for him. He set the tone for Chartiers-Houston to be as successful as they were in the late ’70s and ’80s.”

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