Wheeler Welcomes Stephen Mineo as Head Wrestling Coach
April 23, 2026
The Wheeler School is pleased to announce the hiring of Stephen Mineo P’38 as our new head Wrestling coach. He is one of the most accomplished high school wrestling coaches in the country, with a career defined by competitive success, athlete development, and program building.
He comes to Wheeler following a historic run at Ponaganset High School, where he established one of the premier wrestling programs in New England. Under his leadership, Ponaganset captured four consecutive Rhode Island State Team Championships and four consecutive New England Team Championships.
Coach Mineo will now be leading a program that is heading into just its third year of existence, but moving forward with a tremendous amount of momentum in the Eastern Independent League (EIL) and the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). The Warriors garnered two individual championships last season with Jack M. ’28 and Ryan K. ’28, and Jack was also an EIL Wrestler of the Year.
Beyond team success, Coach Mineo has demonstrated an exceptional ability to develop student-athletes both on and off the mat. His wrestlers have gone on to compete at some of the nation’s most prestigious NCAA programs, including Iowa State, Brown, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Duke, and Wesleyan.
A New Jersey native, Coach Mineo’s coaching philosophy is directly connected to his own decorated wrestling career. He was a three-time High School All-American, a USA Wrestling Fargo Freestyle All-American, a two-time New Jersey State place winner, and a four-time New Jersey Freestyle State Champion. He continued his career at the Division I level, competing for the University of Maryland.
“We’re excited to welcome Coach Mineo to Wheeler,” said Director of Athletics Sean Kelly ’02 P ’35, P ’37. “His experience is outstanding, but what truly stood out was his alignment with Wheeler’s student-centered approach. He understands that coaching, like teaching, is rooted in relationships, growth, and the whole student. His ability to connect learning in the classroom with discipline on the mat will make for a seamless and meaningful experience for our student-athletes.”
“I am thrilled to lead Wheeler Warrior Wrestling into a new chapter, and I look forward to developing a culture of competitiveness, creativity, and inclusion for the student athletes,” said Coach Mineo. “I plan to apply over 30 years of wrestling knowledge to help Wheeler wrestlers build the character, discipline, and teamwork skills that will lead them to success both on and off the wrestling mat. I am looking forward to working with the team, and helping each individual become the best version of themselves. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be part of something special in such a fantastic environment here at The Wheeler School, and I am proud to be a Warrior!”
Coach Mineo will begin his new role immediately and looks forward to connecting with Wheeler student-athletes and families in the coming weeks.
