After high school Coach Butler continued his studies The Ohio State University where he obtained his Bachlors in Psychology, and a Minor in English. 

Prior to arriving at Beachwood High School Coach Butler was a teacher and Assistant Varsity baseball coach at John Hay High School for one year. He then moved to Phoenix, Arizona where he taught and coached baseball, football and golf at Camelback High School for four years.  He helped coach his team to the quarterfinals in the Arizona state tournament, which coach Butler sites as one of his all time greatest coaching experiences.

For the past nine seasons Coach Butler has been teaching and coaching at Beachwood. For four seasons he has served as the Head Assistant Varsity Baseball Coach and was the Head Junior Varsity coach for six season. Professionally he teaches a variety of English classes at Beachwood High School including Honors English and College Prep.

“The reason I coach, it because it’s in my blood. I love kids and fostering their growth and development. The team camaraderie and character building has always been enjoyable for me. I get a lot of pleasure seeing a kid reach their potential. Also, I love the game of baseball." When Coach Butler is not coaching, he enjoys reading, writing, playing his guitar. He still plays baseball and has recently trained for marathons. His favorite TV show is The Wire and his favorite book is Cry, the Beloved Country. Coach Butler resides in University Hts. with his wife Heather, son Arlo, their dog Timber.

This week’s featured Coach of the Week, is second year baseball coach, Dallas Puskar. Last season Dallas served as one of our pitching coaches and Junior Varsity and Freshman Coach and was a great addition to the Beachwood coaching staff.

His coaching expertise helped a few of our pitchers set  career records for the Bison during the 2011 season.

Dallas graduated from Mayfield High School in 2002 and was a standout on their baseball and soccer teams. After graduating from Mayfield he continued his academic and athletic career at Denison University where he majored in Economics and was one of the starting pitchers on the Varsity Baseball team and also served as a relief pitcher. During his time at Denison he was a four year Varsity Letter-winner, and voted NCAC All-Conference in 2005 and 2006. He set numerous team records, including most wins and strikeouts in a season.

After college he continued his baseball career, where he played minor league baseball for the Chillicothe Paints where he had lots of success until an bicep tendon injury ended his baseball career.

For the past three years, Dallas has worked in the Cleveland Heights School District as a Special Education teacher. Prior to coaching at Beachwood he coached in the GLBL league for two summers with a U13 team and U14 team where they won the championship.

 “I am very excited to be a part of the Beachwood baseball family and truly enjoyed my first two season as a Bison. We have a special group of athletes. I enjoy coaching because it gives me the opportunity to help the young men reach their fullest potential in baseball and in life.” I enjoy working with young baseball players and helping them develop their skills, not only with pitching (my specialty) but with their hitting, fielding and playing tactics. Having played at the college and minor league level, I have been able to share my experiences and how hard work gets you to where you want to go” explains Dallas.

During his free time, Dallas enjoys being with family and friends, watching baseball, football, and hockey. His favorite television show is Smallville and his favorite book is Lords of Discipline. He resides in Lyndhurst, with his dog Cash.

DAVID COLE
High School Boys Tennis - Head Coach/ High School Girls Tennis - Assistant Coach
April 9, 2012

This week’s featured Coach of the Week is first-year head boys varsity tennis coach David Cole. This past fall, David served as an assistant varsity and junior varsity tennis coach for the girls team. Prior to coaching at Beachwood, David coached at Hawken and Hathaway Brown.

David graduated from Hawken High School in 1985. He was a varsity letter winner and captain of the soccer team, wrestling team, and tennis team. He was named All County his senior year. He continued his education at the University of Colorado, where he graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in history in 1989. A few years later, he earned his law degree from Case Western Reserve University. He has spent his professional career in retail commercial real estate. Since 2003, David and his wife Jamie have owned and operated Camp Robin Hood, a traditional overnight summer camp in New Hampshire for both girls and boys ages 8 to 16.

In recent years, David has been working as a tennis pro at Mayfield Sand Ridge County Club, where he works with kids and adults of all ages to improve their tennis skills. He gives private and group lessons. He is still a competitive tennis player when time permits.

During David’s free time he enjoys being active in sports and loves watching high school and college sporting events. He enjoys running, playing tennis and golf, as well as paddle. His favorite television show is Seinfeld. His favorite book is “Into Thin Air” and his favorite quote is “How do you want to be remembered.” David resides in Shaker Heights with his wife, Jamie and their two daughters, Lauren and Elizabeth.

MIKE ARNOLD
High School Wrestling - Assistant Varsity Head Coach
March 5, 2012

This week’s featured Coach of the Week is Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach and Hall of Fame Coach, Mike Arnold. Mike has been the assistant coach for the wrestling team  for the past five seasons. This past weekend, at the OHSAA State Wrestling Championship, was inducted in the OHSAA State Wrestling Hall of Fame prior to the State Finals. His weekend was capped off with a successful weekend on the mat as the Bison wrestling team finished 6^th in the State as a team and had three state place winners (Sammy Gross 1^st, Ryan Harris 3^rd, and David Shapiro 3rd).

Prior to arriving at Beachwood, Coach Arnold was the head wrestling coach at Garfield Heights for 28 years and was a Physical Education teacher. He had the longest head coach tenure of coaching all sports at Garfield Heights. During his years at Garfield Heights he coached 200 district qualifiers, 63 state qualifiers, 47 state placer winners, 13 state finalists and 6 state champions. He qualified an individual to the state tournament for 21 consecutive years and coached a state place winner for 19 of 21 years. In 1994 his team won the District and State Championship. His team was District runner-up in 1997, 2003 and 2004. In 1997 his lead Garfield to a Runner-up finish. His team finished top 5 in the State 4 times. He won 203 dual meet wins during his time at Garfield. He was selected as the Division II Coach of the Year twice and voted as the Lake Erie League Coach of the Year four times. At Beachwood he has coached two State Champions and 12 State qualifiers.

Mike attended Pioneer Central High School in New York. He was a 3 Time Team Captain and a very accomplished wrestler. In 1973 and 1974 he finished 2^nd in the State and was 4^th in 1972. His team won the State Championship in 1974. Mike ended his high school career with a record of 110-8 ( which was a state record at the time). He was selected three times as the Pioneer Central’s most valuable wrestler.  

Mike continued his education at Ashland University where he was a member of the Varsity wrestling team. He was a 2 time Team Captain, 4 time NCAA Qualifier, and 3 times NCAA All-American 1977, 1978, and 1979. He had a record of 90-12. He was the Outstanding Wrestler of Ashland’s wrestling team twice.

He is a member of the Ashland University Hall of Fame and Pioneer High School Hall of Fame. He was selected as Greater Cleveland Coach of the Year twice and Plain Dealer Coach of the year in 1994.

“Being selected into the OHSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame is by far the biggest honor a coach can receive, explains Athletic Director, Ryan Peters. Beachwood is very fortunate to have Mike on staff working with our kids. Mike offers our wrestlers an amazing insight, passion and desire to be the best. He understands how to make a difference in the lives of kids at every level. I am so happy for Mike and his family.” He is the second coach in Beachwood history to be inducted into the OHSAA Hall of Fame, the other being Domenick Iammarino.

“Last season we did very well for a young and inexperienced team” explains Karli. “The season ended in a very positive note as we qualified, Laura Tramer to the OHSAA State Tournament, and earned All-Ohio status. We also had seven District qualifiers last year in which six of them return for the 2011/2012 season. The team has showed tremendous heart and dedication this year. I am totally impressed by the progress that the kids made in one season. I am so excited to have the opportunity to work with kids and coach. Coaching allows me to give back to a sport that has given so much to me. I love swimming and want to pass along my passion and love for the sport to young swimmers. It is enjoyable for me to be able to teach the concept that if you work hard you will succeed. My goal is for all the athletes is to find the same love for the sport and experience the same pride in themselves and their team as I did. The future looks very bright for Beachwood swimming, we have a dedicated group of youth, MS and HS swimmers and I am really excited for the years to come. I am looking forward to many great moments in my coaching career at Beachwood.”

Prior to arriving at Beachwood she coached two seasons at New Albany in the Columbus area and was one of the premier coaches at the New Albany Aquatics Club as one of their beginner coaches.

Karli is a 2008 graduate of Westerville Central High School. In high school excelled in swimming and in tennis. She was an All American swimmer, where she finished in the top 8, ten times in four years at the Ohio High School Athletic Association State Championships. She achieved All-American and All-Ohio honors. She currently holds 7 school records at Westerville Central High School. In 2007, Karli qualified for Spring Nationals. Westerville Central recognized Karli as their Athlete of the Month four times during her high school career. Karli was a member of the National Honors Society and was Scholar Athlete for four straight years.

She continued her education and athletic career at the University of Cincinnati. Athletically, she placed 5th in the 100 Breast at Big East Championships 2009 and set the University of Cincinnati team record in the 100 Breast and received Rookie of the Year honors in 2008-2009.

In her free time she enjoys watching Ohio State football, visiting family and friends, sleeping, and cleaning. Her favorite TV show is HGTV and favorite magazine is Marie Clare. 

Karli is currently attending nursing school and resides in Cleveland Heights with her dog, Bandit.

Legendary teacher and athletic department staff member, Gail Brewster is this Week’s featured Bison Athletic Department Staff Member of the Week.

Gail has worked for the Beachwood Schools for 48 years, which is longer than any other Beachwood City Schools staff member in the history of Beachwood. Gail was a History and Social Studies teacher at BHS for 36 years. In 2000 she retired from teaching but has continued to be a regular substitute teacher at the High School.

For the past 44 years Gail has worked for the Beachwood Athletic Department in a variety of positions. In the Fall, she works as the scorekeeper and announcer for the volleyball team and collects tickets at football and soccer games. During the Winter season, she is the scorekeeper for the Boys and Girls basketball teams and is a ticket taker for wrestling matches. During the Spring she is the scorekeeper for the Lady Bison softball team. “Gail is an absolute legend at Beachwood, explains Athletic Director Ryan Peters. I have known Gail, practically my entire life. She was an amazing teacher and does a great job for my department. She is a hard worker and takes her job very seriously. She offers a great insight and historical perspective that has helped move our department to a higher level. I love that fact that she has worked with so many coaches and athletes during her long tenure because it gives me a great perspective of how things were done in the past and how we can use best practices to improve our department.”

 “I truly enjoy working for the Athletic Department because it gives me the chance to continue to be with kids, coaches and parents. I love seeing my former students and their families come back to support our teams and it gives me the chance to see my former students as adults. It is neat to watch our coaches and athletes progress over the course of a season and years. We have great coaches and kids. I get pleasure from watching our kids accomplish success on and off the playing field, explains Gail Brewster.”

Gail attended Euclid High School (Class of 1957), where she played intramural field hockey, basketball and baseball. She was the yearbook editor, and wrote a sports column for their school newspaper. She continued her education at Kent State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science and Masters Degree. In college Gail was a member of the Synchronized Swimming Team She then went to Stanford and NY Stonybrook and the University of Hawaii, where she did her Fellowship in Asian Studies. She moved to Japan where she taught and studied.

Before 48 year tenure at Beachwood, she taught history and journalism for four years at North Royalton High School. In 1964, she was hired by the Beachwood City Schools where she became a teaching legend and staple of the Beachwood Athletic Department. She currently resides in Lyndhurst.

COLLEEN SCHACHTEL
High School Varsity Cheerleading Coach
January 30, 2012

Varsity Cheerleading Coach, Colleen Schachtel is in the midst of her 11^th season as Head Coach of the High School team.

She attended Oshkosh North High School, which located in Oshkosh Wisconsin. She was a member of the volleyball team and was a cheerleader. After High School and before arriving in Beachwood she was an NFL cheerleader with the Greenbay Packers.

“I really enjoying coaching the Beachwood cheerleaders. I get the opportunity to make a difference in our students lives, and help create a culture of school and community spirit.  The reason I got into coaching is because I love working with kids, and love cheerleading. I had a wonderful experience as a cheerleader and I enjoy giving back to the kids. It is gratifying when a former cheerleader come up to me prior to or after graduation and says “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for you, thanks” explains Colleen Schachtel.  

Colleen has been employed by the Beachwood City Schools for the past 13 years as a Special Education Assistant and is currently working at Bryden Elementary School in this position. When she is not coaching she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, coaching and boating. Her favorite TV show is X-Factor and her favorite book is Million Tiny Pieces.

Colleen is married to Jay Schachtel and has three children Alicia, Katie, and Michael; she also has a granddaughter Kennedy. Her pets names are Maxx Oliver, and Shadow.  

DOMENICK IAMMARINO
Middle School Head Wrestling & Cross Country Coach
January 23, 2012

Domenick Iammarino (Coach “I”) is the longest reining and most accomplished coach in Beachwood history. Forty seven years ago he began his teaching and coaching career at Beachwood High School. As a teacher he taught Introduction to Business, Business Law, Typing, Drivers Education, and a variety of other subjects. He recent retired as a teacher but is currently employed by the District as a Special Education Assistant.

Coach “I” has been the Head Middle School Wrestling Coach and Middle School Cross Country for six seasons. He was the Varsity Head Cross Country Coach for 8 years. He also served as the Head Varsity Baseball Coach for 8 years (1983-1991), and as Assistant Baseball Coach under Max Vermillion. He was also an Assistant Football, under former Head Coach, Dick Self.

Coach “I” is regarded as the “Godfather of Beachwood Wrestling.” He was the Head High School Varsity Wrestling Coach at Beachwood for 30 years and was the pioneer of the program which began in 1967. His resume includes hundreds of accomplishments. Probably his greatest accomplishments his induction into the Ohio High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1992 and his 2003 2^nd Place team finish at the  State Tournament, which marks the highest State finish of any Beachwood sports team in school history. Coach “I” also was voted two times as the OHSAA Ohio Wrestling Coach of the Year; and Greater Cleveland Coach of the Year four times. Seven times in his coaching career he was named the Plain Dealer Coach of the Year.

During his tenure at Beachwood he has coached 12 State Wrestling Champions, 72 State Place Winners/Qualifiers. His teams won the Metropolitan Area Conference (MAC -8) in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.

“I absolutely love coaching. Coaching is who I am. Working with young people is extremely self-gratifying. There is nothing more rewarding then seeing a kid accomplishes their goals and dreams. My years at Beachwood have been simply astonishing and a lot of fun. I have made so many fantastic relationships with my former athletes, parents, teachers and staff members. I have had the opportunity help create and be part of some many athletes and students memories at Beachwood. The memories that we have created over the years has been great. Beachwood has been wonderful to me and my family for over 40 years. I am grateful for everything I have and everything I accomplished as a coach and teacher over the years at BHS.” 

During the late 80’s and early 90’s, Coach “I” was the Head Wrestling Coach at Brush High School for 7 seasons, and served 1 season as Head Wrestling Coach at Orange High School. He returned to Beachwood in 1993, to serve as an Assistant Coach to his former wrestler and Beachwood Alum, Scott Peters (Class of 1983). In 1994, Coach “I” took over the reigns as Head Coach and remained in that role until 2005 when he stepped down. For the past six seasons, he has served as the Head Middle School wrestling coach and as a mentor/advisor for the High School Varsity team.

Prior to arriving at Beachwood, Coach “I” attended and graduated from Kent State University in 1962, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration. He was a three year varsity letter winner and Co-captain of Kent State Wrestling team 1962. In 1975, he obtained his Masters in Educational Administration from John Carroll University.

Coach “I” went to Collinwood High School where he was a member of the wrestling, track, football and basketball teams and graduated High School in 1958. In 2009 he was inducted into the Collinwood High School Hall of Fame.

His favorite thing to do during his free time is play softball, run, compete in track events, reading, all outdoor activities. He also loves spending time with his family. His favorite television show is Dancing with the Stars, and the Cleveland Indians. He enjoys reading Inspirational books. His favorite quote is “If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me.”

Coach “I” resides in Solon with his wife, Debbie. He has four children, Lisa, Michael, Dina, and Joseph, 8 grandchildren, and a dog named, Peppy.

"When I arrived at Beachwood, I set the goal of making Beachwood a State powerhouse. We want to win State Championships and Conference Championships. We want our student athletes to develop into leaders that can help foster their teammates to play at a higher level that they should or think they can. We try and maximize every team members potential and beyond."

Last year, was a great first season for Brad and the coaching staff. “The kids bought into our system and our philosophy and trained hard. We left the season on a very positive note as we qualified, Laura Tramer to the OHSAA State Tournament, where she placed 11th in the State and was All-Ohio. We also had seven District qualifiers last year in which six of them return for the 2011/2012 season. The team is led by Captains, Kei Hitomi (Sr.), Kauner Hooper (Jr.), Elizabeth Morris (Sr.) and Harley Schoen (Jr.). Other returning District qualifiers are Cory Hersh (Jr.) and Wes Darvin (So.). Other top swimmers to watch are Lyndsey Guth (Jr.), who recently moved back to Beachwood from New Albany HS, where she was a District Qualifier, and Aliyah Patterson who is also new to the District. Dean Granot (So.), Zach Davis (So.), Jeffery Murtaugh (Sr.) where big contributors last season and are doing a great job so far this season” explains Brad Burget.

During his years at New Albany he and his teams experience a lot of success. In 2005 he coached, John Sands who swam the 50 Free in 20.19 and was named the Fastest Swimmer in America. In 2002, at Junior Nationals his Boys 200 yard freestyle relay team won the national Championship. Two of his swimmers, set national age group records and one Junior National record. Nine of his swimmer, held USA/Ohio Records, which includes 7 relays and 2 individual events. A handful of his athletes have competed in the Olympic and World team Trails.
 
During his years of coaching (Two at Beachwood, 13 at New Albany, 6 at Columbus Academy High School and Middle School, 2 at Pickerington High School and 1 at The Ohio State University), he has coached 7 swimmers with 10 events listed on the All-Time Ohio High School Honor Roll, 200 High School All-Americans, 20 High School State Champions, 15 Central District High School Records, 2 Pool Records at The Ohio State University,

Brad attended The Ohio State University and graduated in 1988, while earning a Degree in Marketing and was a member of the swim team. He graduated from Pickerington High School in 1982, where he was a standout swimmer. 

Brad explains that “the greatest moments in my coaching career has been when a swimmer reaches his/her full potential. I have seen it a bunch of times and it is an extremely rewarding experience for everyone involved. I got into coaching, because I love the sport of swimming and really enjoy working with kids. I am a very competitive person and I enjoy creating winning teams by developing the total student-athlete. If you help create a great person you will have great team.”

When Brad is not coaching he enjoys watching Ohio State University sports (Football). He loves watching any kind of comedy show.

DUGAN BENTLEY
High School Wrestling Coach
December 29, 2011

Wrestling Coach, Dugan Bentley is in the midst of his fifth season as the Head Coach of the Beachwood Bison wrestling team. Last season he had three wrestlers qualify for the OHSAA State Championships where his team finished 8^th in the State. Alec Jacober and Sammy Gross finished in 3^rd Place, while Ryan Harris was 7^th in the State. Ryan set the school record for most wins in a season during his Freshman campaign, while David Shapiro shattered the season pin record. Coach Bentley’s team finished 2^nd in the Chagrin Valley Conference, where Alec Jacober was voted Outstanding Wrestler of the conference. During his short tenure, his teams have finished top ten in the State Tournament twice. As a result of the team’s outstanding 2010/2011 season, Coach Bentley was voted by his peers as Northeast Ohio’s Coach of the Year.

“This season, our team is currently ranked 2^nd in the State and has four wrestlers ranked in the top four in the State, explains Coach Bentley. “This has been a great season so far as we have some very talented wrestlers that are dedicated to being the best in the State. My goal for this team is to bring home the first State Championship in school history. This seasons team moto is "Tenacity and Relentlessness." Beachwood has always had a long and storied tradition of State and National success and we would like to add more names onto this tradition. I am confident that in March our community will be proud of our wrestling team.”

"I was recently asked why do I coach? I truly love the kids, the sport, and Beachwood. Coaching affords me the opportunity to continue to compete, teach, and share my passion for the sport of wrestling with young kids. I am a very competitive person and I enjoy winning. I am always competing against my friends, my family, other coaches, and myself. I always strive to be the best. The opponents and coaches that I coach against are in the way of my wrestlers success as well as my coaching staff’s success. If we work harder and smarter than our competition that we will be able to beat them. I enjoy preparing my wrestlers to win and for them to feel and enjoy the success that wrestling can bring when you get your arm raised. I feel a great deal of gratitude from my wrestlers  accomplishments. It is fun for me to influence the development and success of a student, a wrestler, and a person.”

In 2010, Coach Bentley crowned his first individual State Champion, Alex Dronzek at 112lbs. “The moments after Alex won the State Championship, ranks as probably my greatest coaching moment. That was one of the greatest experiences that I have ever had and I hope to experience that feeling again in the near future.”

Professional, Coach Bentley has been a Physical Education teacher at Beachwood Middle School for the past five years. He coached Middle School track for one season. Prior to arriving at Beachwood, he was a teacher in the Mentor School District. He began his coaching career at Ashland Crestview, where his team finished 10^th in the State and coached one year at Berkshire High School where his team reached high levels of success.

Coach Bentley attended and graduated from Ashland University, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Physical Education. Athletically, he was a two time NCAA All-American, and 4 time NCAA National Qualifier. He was the Team Captain for two seasons and recorded 111 college victories. He attended Groveport Madison High School (Class of 1998) where he was a 2 time State placer winner (2^nd and 3^rd), and was a state finalist. He was a 3 time OCC Conference Champion and four time letter winner. He ended his high school career with 136 victories. He was also a standout on the football team, where he was a two time letter winner.

During my free time, I enjoy running an intense, hard, and effective training session for wrestlers and athletes of all ages and abilities.  It is my favorite thing to do because I believe other coaches are not choosing to do this during their free time. In my free time I enjoy getting gratitude out of something I have accomplished during the day. When I have downtime at home, I enjoy watching Big Ten College wrestling and love reading WIN Wrestling Magazine. My favorite quote is “In times of great stress or adversity, it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive.” – Lee Iacocca " Coach Bentley resides in Willowick with his wife, Amber, their new born baby, Kasari and Abelle, their dog.