Lou Giani’s love affair with wrestling began as a junior at Robert L. Simpson High School as Huntington High School was then known. On the horsehair filled mats in that dusty old room in the building’s basement, the sport took hold in the teenager’s life, propelling him to the 1960 Olympics and a National Wrestling Hall of Fame coaching career.

Giani passed away this past Tuesday afternoon at 86. His interest in wrestling and Huntington High School, his alma mater, never waned nor did his belief in the value of sports and the benefits of working hard and striving to attain a worthwhile goal. The coach’s own work ethic was second to none.