May 30, 2013 3 min read

It’s never easy for a head coach to decide the right time to give up that position.

Bill Sutton has had that discussion with his wife, Nicole, on many occasions. Sutton, the varsity head wrestling coach at Chartiers-Houston High School, wanted to follow his son, Tanner, as he began his wrestling career at Lock Haven. He also wanted to be in the stands to watch his daughter, Haley, who is a multi-talented athlete at the school.

Finally, his wife said something to help Sutton with his decision.

“She said, ‘You’re never going to pick a year when you say, ‘I won’t stay for these guys.’ That’s never going to happen.'” he said. “And she’s right.”

So Sutton decided to submit his letter of resignation to the school board, ending a 10-year stay that produced 117 dual meet victories, five state medalists, 15 state qualifiers, two regional champions and four runners-up.

“I love the kids,” the 50-year-old Sutton said. “I’m Chartiers through and through. You realize that you have to be done sometime. Nothing lasts forever.”

Sutton believes there are two qualified candidates to take his place in assistants Jeff Havelka, whose father, Terry, is the head wrestling coach at Burgettstown; and Garrett Johnston, who wrestled at West Greene High School and Waynesburg University. Sutton said he isn’t going to completely give up coaching. He wants to remain as a volunteer assistant and promises to support the program in any way he can.

“Jeff and Garrett are very capable,” Sutton said. “All the kids know and like them. It’s time for younger guys to take over.”

This wrestling season has seen a lot of turnover. Joining Sutton in the retired ranks are Chris Mary at Canon-McMillan, Scott Rhodes at Jefferson-Morgan and Josh Barrette at Washington.

Sutton served as an assistant to Jim Vulcano before taking over at Chartiers-Houston. His teams won three section titles, qualified eight times for the WPIAL Team Tournament and earned two berths in the PIAA Team Tournament. Six of his wrestlers won WPIAL individual titles, and five moved into the school’s all-time win list. Garrett Vulcano, with 154, has the record, and Tanner Sutton is second with 142.

“If you look over the wrestling careers of your kids, it’s like a long-running movie,” he said. “There is some good and some bad. But so many of my kids have grown up, gone on with life and now are my friends. That’s what’s so cool about it. It’s not all about wrestling. It’s about turning those kids into men.”