West Central Michigan News

Tom Borrelli, who concluded his 33-year tenure as head coach of the Central Michigan wrestling program last spring, will be inducted into the CMU Marcy Weston Athletics Hall of Fame as part of the 2024 class. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 20 at McGuirk Arena, followed by an introduction at the CMU-Ball State football game on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Borrelli's influence extends beyond his official retirement. His name remains prominent in the Chippewas' wrestling room and across various gyms and wrestling rooms nationwide.

Joining Borrelli in this year's Hall of Fame class are basketball/baseball player Chad Pleiness, gymnast Sarah Dame, football player Eric Fisher, volleyball player Kaitlyn (Schultz) Miller, and cross country/track & field standout Ryan Watson.

The ceremony details are as follows:

- Date: Friday, Sept. 20, 2024

- Time: 6 p.m. ET

- Location: McGuirk Arena Main Floor

- Admission: Free and open to the public

Borrelli's record at CMU includes leading the Chippewas to a first-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships last spring. This marked the 30th time in his career that his team won either the league tournament or its regular season title. He also earned his unprecedented 15th MAC Coach of the Year Award.

"Ultimately, when it's all said and done, it's about people using wrestling or using the things they learned through being a competitive athlete in college," Borrelli said. "That's why you do this."

Borrelli has influenced many protégés who have entered coaching roles themselves. His longtime assistant Ben Bennett now leads the CMU program. His son Jason coaches at American University while Scotti Sentes and Luke Smith head programs at Campbell and Cal State Bakersfield respectively.

A recent Chippewa Wrestling golf outing saw maximum participation with 144 attendees. A retirement gathering for Borrelli drew an overflow crowd to a local restaurant.

"It's not about the wins and losses," Borrelli stated. "It's more about the friendships and the things you learn and how you can use that later on in life."

Now residing in Port St. Joe on Florida's Gulf Coast with his wife Lorri, Borrelli spends his time fishing, riding his Harley-Davidson, and handling household tasks.

"For 45 years I've known exactly what I was going to do every day," he remarked. "And now you wake up and you're trying to figure out what you're going to do."

Thanks largely to Tom Borrelli's guidance, numerous former Chippewa wrestlers have found their paths as good fathers, citizens, and role models.