Hall of Fame
Louis Giani ranks among the best high school wrestling coaches in the entire country. In 1970, he began a 38-year coaching career building Huntington High School into one of the best programs in the state. Coach Giani compiled a gaudy 416-32 career record at Huntington and a 20-4-1 record over two years at Eastern Military Academy prior to arriving at Huntington.
Coach Giani was an eight-time Suffolk County Coach of the Year and three-time New York State Coach of the Year. In 2002 he was voted National High School Coach of the Year and has been inducted into two Halls of Fame: the New York State Wrestling Hall of Fame (1997) and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2003).
Spanning four decades, Lou’s teams were recognized for five state tournament titles, nine Suffolk County titles, 22 League titles, and 117 regular season tournaments—the most by any Long Island coach. From 1995-2004, Lou led his wrestling squads to 81 consecutive dual meet wins, a Suffolk County record. Locally, Lou has developed youth programs for two large Long Island towns and has organized free clinics for coaches and athletes across the county.
A graduate of Huntington High School in 1953, Coach Giani went on to compete in wrestling at CW Post where he earned a Bachelors in physical education. Following CW Post, Lou became a world class wrestler winning a gold in the 1959 Pan-Am Games and participating in the 1960 Olympics.