The Peru Gazette

Peru – Gary Edwards was a high school business education teacher at Peru Central for 26 years; however, his five-sport coaching career made the headlines last year when he turned over the wrestling head coaching reins to David Thomas. Edwards was a Peru wrestling assistant coach, co-coach, or head coach for 45 years. Over that period, the program produced nine state champions, 74 state place winners, 9-second place winners, and 17 trips to the state finals, plus many other milestones.  

Why has the Peru wrestling program been successful? Gary Edwards answered, “Success comes through hard work. We put the boys through tough routines every practice.” In addition, Edwards believes the team’s coaching continuity has been critical. He said, “We’ve only had five head coaches. Coach Tony Papero started the program in 1956. Stan Riggs took over in 1965. I took over in 1985, and Mike Hogan started in 1994. Now it’s David Thomas.” Reflecting on his coaching successes, Edwards credits his wife, Nancy. He said, “We’ve been married for 57 years. When I talked to her about coaching, she said, ‘Do whatever you want, just don’t ask me to help out.’ She has helped out by being 100 percent behind me all the way. She is the greatest reason for my success.”

A 1965 Peru High School graduate and two-time sectional wrestling champion, Edwards learned about hard work on local farms. He recalled, “In the summer, I helped to bring in hay for my uncle, at the Calkins farm, and Bill Signor. Handing those bales, especially up in the haymow, was hard work.” He admits his working hard didn’t extend to school. He recalled, “I didn’t care about studying when I was in high school. I never thought about going to college.” Instead, during the height of the Vietnam War, Edwards enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where the self-confidence he developed as a high school wrestler immediately came into play. Good test scores qualified him for Marine Corp technical training; however, when he reached the Marine Corps’ office in Albany, they placed a form in front of him that read, “School – NA.” When he questioned it, a Marine replied, “You can wait until you arrive at Parris Island to fix that.” Edwards had the self-confidence to insist that the error be immediately corrected. After boot camp, he graduated from tech school and served four years as a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter mechanic. 

Aircraft mechanics make an excellent living. So why didn’t he pursue a career in that field? Edwards said, “I thought about it until the Marines sent me to tour a Boeing plant in Philadelphia. After seeing how boring that job looked, I called my wife Nancy and said, “I decided I’m going to college.” Following his military discharge, Edwards earned an associate’s degree in Business Administration at Canton ATC and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education at the University of Buffalo. Reflecting on his military duty, Edwards said, “My success in the Marines gave me the confidence to go to college. I ended up graduating with a 3.2 average.” 

In the mid-1970s, few schools were hiring teachers. In 1976 the Peru District hired Edwards as a substitute teacher and in 1977 as a full-time keyboarding and business education teacher. Coaching took place after his classroom workday. That makes for a long day; however, being in school all day can significantly benefit a coach. He gets to know the student-athletes. Edwards said, “We coached all types of kids. Some graduated and attended great colleges. Some of the boys would have quit school without wrestling. It helped them get rid of any aggressions. When a kid had grade problems, I’d talk with the teacher and sometimes bring teachers and students together for a talk trying to fix a broken relationship. Other times I’d sit the kids down at a table and say, ‘You’ve got all this work to get done.'” Edwards still keeps in touch with several of his former students either in person or on Facebook. He said, “I try to encourage them whenever I can.” 

One of his former wrestlers is Jeff “Beefy” Way, Peru’s current varsity football defensive coordinator and girls track head coach. Jeff Way was Edward’s first state champion. He commented, “Gary’s 1st Class. He taught us the work ethic and that as a coach, you have to work as hard, if not harder, than the kids. If the kids see the coach working hard, they try to emulate him.” Like Edwards, Way values Peru’s wrestling coaching history, saying, “The expression is don’t let that tradition carry you. You carry the tradition. Leave the program better than you found it.” 

Longtime wrestling co-coach Mike Hogan (1994-2020) commented, “When I started, I didn’t realize I’d have a co-coach. I asked Coach Larry Ewald about Coach Edwards, and he said, ‘You won’t have a problem.’ I didn’t! We worked very well together. His strengths were my weaknesses and vice-versa.” Hogan described Edwards as an old-school type coach, commenting, “He believed in discipline and going by the rules, being fair and square.” He added, “Edwards was a big help because he was in school. He knew what was happening with the kids and took care of everyday problems.” 

Gary Edwards formally retired as a classroom teacher in 2002; however, he still has contact with students as a substitute teacher. He plans to continue serving in that role and as Section VII wrestling coordinator. Students will continue benefitting from his insistence on discipline, hard work, and the self-confidence and successes that usually result.