WRESTLING COACH HARRY MCGINNIS INDUCTED INTO ILLINOIS STATE HALL OF FAME
All of that wrestling around the house when one is young really does pay off. At least it does if you’re Harry McGinnis, head wrestling coach at Triton College. Just this past year, Coach McGinnis took eight wrestling qualifiers to the National Tournament in Rochester, Minnesota. Four of them were named All-American and his Triton Trojan wrestling team placed third place in the Division III team scoring and 10th place overall.
A native of Waynedale, Harry McGinnis has just completed his 17th year as Triton’s head coach. Triton is one of the nation’s premier two-year institutions located just 14 miles from downtown Chicago. During his tenure, Harry has produced 95 national qualifiers and 27 All-Americans. His 1997 team was crowned the National Junior College Athletic Association, NJCAA, Division III National Champs. McGinnis was named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year that same year. In 2002 Harry was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
Coach McGinnis will be inducted into the Illinois State Hall of Fame on April 22, 2006 in Chicago. This honor reflects Harry’s love of the sport, as well as the wrestlers he coaches.
“I teach by example,” McGinnis said, ” I don’t just tell the guys what to do, I show them, I still work out and wrestle with the team. As long as I can do that, I’ll be coaching.”
Coach McGinnis encourages his team members to excel in the classroom as well as on the mat. His 2003 team was named the NJCAA Coaches Association All-American team with a combined 3.28 GPA.
Harry’s mom, Mrs. Wilhelmina McGinnis-Doell, remembers how Harry and his brother Kevin would challenge one another to a match when they were both in high school. Mrs. Doell said wrestling has always been part of their lives.
Waynedale is proud of our native son, Harry McGinnis. By his own example, coach McGinnis teaches his team members how to set goals and by working hard they can achieve anything they want.
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