Ted Reese founded the University of Southern Maine Huskies’ wrestling program and guided it for six years - and to this date, USM is the only NCAA wrestling program in the State of Maine.
A pioneer of the sport in Maine, Reese helped develop Maine’s wrestling, founding high school programs at Camden-Rockport, Georges Valley, Scarborough and Bonny Eagle.
During his tenure at Bonny Eagle, the Fighting Scots were State Champions eight times, runners-up four time and winners of the Sportsmanship banner twice. Reese’s Bonny Eagle club was Class A State Champions four of his last five years, and his 1993 team was ranked 21st in the nation by Wrestling USA magazine. Due to Reese’s leadership, the Fighting Scots were also listed as the 29th most successful high school program of that decade.
In addition to his coaching stops, Reese taught English and at Noble and Greenough School, Milton Academy and Tabor Academy. Reese was the head of the English Department at both Tabor Academy and Georges Valley.
During his coaching career, Reese coached numerous New England school and freestyle champions as well as three honorable mention scholastic All-Americans and three Maine All-Class Most Outstanding Wrestlers.
While establishing the Huskies’ wrestling program, Reese coached Adam Farrington - the first Southern Maine wrestler to compete at the NCAA Division III National Championship. During Farrington’s career he was the national leader in pins and was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler in New England.
The first person in the United States to earn the coveted designation of Master Coach from FILA, wrestling’s international ruling body, Reese also earned a certificate of achievement from the Moscow Institute of Sport in 1987. He helped with several World Cup and Olympic teams. During the 1984 Olympics, Reese served as a scout for several of the U.S.’s gold medalists, including legendary wrestler and good friend Dave Schultz.
Knowledgeable in technique and a fanatic for detail, Reese worked extensively on USA Wrestling’s National Wrestling Syllabus and is currently compiling a technique book, accompanied by a video, entitled “Tangatook Wrestling Techniques.”
