Coach Marzuola finds passion, purpose in often overlooked sport
Tim Marzuola’s 800th career dual win came and went last season with the longtime Highland Park wrestling coach barely acknowledging the milestone.
That wasn’t the case for those around him, however, who surprised him with a party recognizing his achievement, attended by dozens of his former athletes eager to celebrate his legacy and longevity in the sport.
“I would have never thought I’d have been around for 800 dual wins,” Marzuola said. “That’s a lot of wrestling.”
As he begins his 50th year of coaching, he’s too busy to think about retirement. Marzuola, 73, who started the HP program in 1982 and has overseen it for 38 years over two stints, said he has more to accomplish.
He originally came to HP after six years at Irving MacArthur. During his first 25 years with the Scots, he coached several individual state champions in addition to winning five UIL team titles and eight more state dual trophies.
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He retired in 2007 and moved to Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife, Tina. He rode his motorcycle 20 miles every day to Summerville High School, where he coached.
“I loved it there, but after six years, they called me up and said I need to come back to Highland Park,” Marzuola said. “The program wasn’t in very good shape.”
In the 13 years since he’s returned, Marzuola has focused on rebuilding the middle school and club programs in the Park Cities. The pandemic slowed his progress, but there are more than 90 athletes in the high school program now, with a deep talent pool.
When he stops by club practices, he’s able to visit with his former wrestlers who now are parents of future Scots.
“That’s the greatest compliment that I can have, is that guys thought enough about the sport to put their own kids in it,” he said.
In Marzuola’s first few years at HP, he didn’t have an assistant coach and worked a part-time job on Sundays while earning his master’s degree. Things have changed since, but he still teaches social studies, just as he’s been doing for decades.
“I love teaching, and I love coaching,” he said. “If I had to give up one, I don’t think I could.”
At Summerville, Marzuola worked for legendary football coach John McKissick, who earned more than 600 wins over 63 seasons before retiring in 2015 at age 89.
At HP, he coaches alongside another football legend, Randy Allen, who is still winning titles in his mid-70s and closing in on the all-time state wins record.
Despite grappling with health issues in recent years including three heart attacks and a mild stroke, Marzuola hopes to someday go out on his own terms. He coaches a sport that might be overshadowed by comparison, yet his passion and energy for wrestling continues to drive him.
“I don’t think I’ll ever lose that,” Marzuola said. “At some point, I’m just not going to be able to do this anymore.”
