Late wrestling coach to receive posthumous induction to Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame

Greg Aprahamian, the late multi-sport high school coach in the Muskego, Kettle Moraine and Mukwonago districts, will be inducted into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame next month.

The Brookfield East High School alum who starred on wrestling, football and track and field teams as a Spartan in his high school days later made a 31-year career of teaching and coaching at the high school level. After spending his undergraduate years first at UW-Platteville before transferring to UW-Stout, Aprahamian returned to UW-Platteville and completed a master's degree in industrial technology in 1987.

Aprahamian's career began at Muskego

His professional career began at Muskego as a teacher and coach of football, track and field and wrestling. The latter of the three was an assistant role until Aprahamian was elevated to head coach in 1992.

Under his guidance through 1998, the program compiled a 116-29 dual meet record, including 48-1 in conference duals and three state appearances. The highlight of his Muskego tenure was a 1994 WIAA team state title that was the program's first, and only, team state title. Aprahamian was awarded a Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association district coach of the year recognition in 1994 as well.

A program carried to new heights at Kettle Moraine

Aprahamian joined the Kettle Moraine district in 1999 as a teacher and coach of the same three sports he had coached at Muskego. A wrestling program without as much history and depth as the Muskego program he had left provided a unique challenge, but one he approached with vigor.

Football and track players were coaxed from Aprahamian's other teams to the wrestling mat, including those with little to no wrestling experience. Within just three seasons in 2001, the Lasers won a program-first Classic 8 Conference championship. He would coach the program through 2005, guiding 10 athletes to individual state placements, led by one state champion.

Frank Cuda, who took over the program in 2006 and got to know Aprahamian in the years after, said his predecessor was prepared and had a magnetism about him with students and athletes. The two served together when Aprahamian returned to KM for a season for the 2017-18 school year.

"After coaching with Greg, I quickly learned he had the gift for connecting with athletes and making them better," Cuda wrote in a letter of recommendation for Aprahamian's enshrinement. "It is clear to me that Greg had an unbelievable passion and connection with the sport of wrestling."

Coaching with his family at Mukwonago

Aprahamian spent the latter third of his high school coaching career as an assistant coach under Jon Wierzbicki at Mukwonago, where his children Brittany, Ryan, Tyler and Megan attended. From 2006 to 2012 as his four kids worked their way through high school, Brittany and Megan served as team managers and statisticians while Ryan and Tyler wrestled in the program.

It was a true labor of love for their father, who donated his salary to the district to fund mats and additional assistant coaches. Wierzbicki called Aprahamian a true volunteer from whom he learned a great deal.

"He was willing to do all the extra duties that went with our program," Wierzbicki said. "No task was beneath him and I always appreciated his humility or willingness to serve as a leader. He wasn't afraid to show early, stay late or go the extra mile."

Mukwonago enjoyed historic program success during their tenure, winning six Classic 8 Conference titles in seven seasons, reaching the state tournament in 2006 and 2007 and finishing in the state semifinals in 2011.

Leaving a legacy with the wrestling community

Aprahamian passed away suddenly Jan. 18, 2023, at the age of 60, just as he and his wife Tammy were set to embark on retirement together. In addition to his children and grandchildren including Raylee, Drew, Max, Jackson and Gregory, his memory lives on through the hundreds of lives he touched through his coaching.

The induction for his late father is the culmination of an effort to immortalize a legacy for his father, according to Ryan.

"Getting my dad inducted into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame after his passing has been a bittersweet journey. It’s been an honor to celebrate his love for wrestling and the huge impact he had on so many people, especially on me as one of his wrestlers," Ryan said. "Seeing this recognition come together means the world to me. It truly reflects his legacy as an amazing coach, mentor and father, and I know his influence will live on in our community for years to come.”

Aprahamian will be inducted into the Wisconsin Wrestling Hall of Fame on May 18 in Wisconsin Dells.