Photo contributed by Larry Slater
During a time where normal sports headlines are few and far between, Zeke Jones and the ASU Wrestling staff have provided one.
The program announced the hire of assistant coach Frank Molinaro Thursday, filling the void of Chris Pendleton, who took the head job at Oregon State last month.
Molinaro a decorated wrestler during his career, earned four All-American bids in college at perennial power Penn Sate before wrestling in the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he fell to the eventual silver medalist in the quarterfinals.
“Frank Molinaro is an outstanding addition to our staff and will now leave his mark by adding to the history and tradition of Sun Devil Wrestling,” Jones said to Sun Devil Athletics. “We look forward to watching him guide our team.”
Prior to being hired, Molinaro had been training to make a return to the U.S. Olympic team this summer in Tokyo. The COVID-19 pandemic derailed his plans, and like so many other athletes, forced him to make the tough decision to walk away from the sport.
“The biggest thing I felt was that rest in my soul – that I was ready to do it,” Molinaro said to Sun Devil Athletics. “I’m excited and relieved today to move on to the next chapter.”
The former National champion and New Jersey native also expressed excitement in joining an ASU program that has developed great pedigree.
“I am excited to work with Zeke (Jones) and coach (Lee) Pritts,” Molinaro said to Sun Devil Athletics. “Arizona State’s trajectory has gone up every single year and I feel like I can bring a lot of enthusiasm,energy, experience and a positive impact to this team.”
His storied playing career has also been complimented by impressive coaching stints since his time in Happy Valley came to an end. In 2018, he helped lead Virginia Tech to an ACC title and a top 10 national finish. He was able to balance coaching and wrestling, as he concurrently trained at the Southeast Regional Training Center in Virginia. His coaching resume also include time at Rutgers, and his alma mater. He will bring his family to Tempe as well, consisting of his wife and three young sons, ages 5, 3, and 2.
Molinaro’s addition is a big one for Jones and company, but the staff still isn’t quite complete. A volunteer assistant position remains open, one coach Jones hopes to fill before the start of the 2020-21 academic year.
