A HEARTFELT TRIBUTE

Harry Hagedorn was a beloved teacher and a leader on the mat

By BRANDON HURLEY

Sports Editor
sports@beeherald.com

@BrandonJHurley

Choking back tears, John Kinely admits he never had the chance to share a proper goodbye.
Forty-five years of friendship and wrestling evolution evaporated frustratingly quick. The former Jefferson High wrestling coach didn’t get to share the lessons he gained, the wrestling growth he experienced with a man he long admired.
The late Harry Hagedorn is often one of the handful of men credited with the re-birth of Greene County wrestling. A beloved teacher and a charismatic wrestling coach, Hagedorn left quite the mark on the Jefferson community during his three-decade stint in the local school system. He struck up life-long friendships along the way, leaving a tremendous impact.
The 1949 Jefferson High valedictorian passed away May 2 following a short battle with an illness. He was 88, living a full life that touched thousands of students, athletes, and peers. He was a wrestling fanatic if there ever was one. But before helping kick-start tradition-rich Jefferson wrestling program -both at the high school and youth levels - he went and obtained a mathematics degree from Iowa State University. Hagedorn later enlisted and became an officer with the United States Naval Academy and then married his soulmate, Rosemary in 1953. They were together until his death, a long and fruitful 67 years, parenting five children along the way. Hagedorn’s enlistment took he and his wife to California for two years before returning to Iowa to farm outside of Jefferson in 1955, thus beginning a long and storied teaching career.
After a brief pause in an interview late last week, Kinley vividly remembered his late friend for the man he was, a stern but caring and passionate individual. Kinley spent 11 years as the Jefferson wrestling head coach (from 1975-1986), most of them alongside Hagedorn, his trusty assistant.
Hagedorn taught mathematics in the Jefferson school system, becoming one of the most beloved and well-liked faculty members, later earning an induction into the Jefferson-Scranton Hall of Fame in 2006.
Kinley remembers him as almost a second father, a man who understood their shared love for wrestling, but also their passionate desire for teaching and improvement. They quickly bonded when the pair matched up in the wrestling room.  
“He was true honest, dependable, fair, a man of great integrity. As a coach, he was truly a leader and builder of boys into young men,” Kinley said. “As a teacher, he helped his students develop a better understanding of math and prepared them well for any post-secondary goals they wished to pursue. He was always willing to give a student extra time and support before/after school if they needed it.”
Hagedorn spent 10 years as a varsity wrestling assistant, retiring in 1983 to help initiate the youth wrestling club. He was stern and commanded respect, never using his intimidating figure to take advantage of relationships. He developed bonds that lasted for decades. But he also understood the long and grueling path it took to achieve greatness, whether in the classroom or on the wrestling mat. His presence was never one you’d soon forget. His massive biceps were accumulated from years of farming. Despite his mean-looking exterior, Hagedorn also had a soft spot for his friends and students. For those familiar with Hagedorn’s classes, his exterior strength was hard to miss.
“You knew exactly stood with him. He was imposing. He had these Popeye forearms,” Kinley said. “He was very strong, those muscles were very prevalent. He had arms that were really, really impressive. He always wore a short-sleeve shirt, so those forearms were always out. I think the kids thought he was imposing, but he was a very caring person and a wonderful teacher.”
Hagedorn was uniquely optimistic. Jefferson’s first wrestling meet with Kinley and him at the helm was a near disaster, getting stomped by Rockwell City, 60-3. Kinley was devastated, Hagedorn on the other hand, quickly brought the coach back to reality. He knew how to find the silver lining in anything.
““I called him up (when I got home) and he says ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day, we’re going to get through this. We just have to take it one step at a time,’” Kinley said. “He was not only a good friend, but he was very wise. We just had this great open line of communication.
Kinley continued, “As a colleague, he was simply the best. He set an example for me for which I will always be grateful.”
The duo talked wrestling frequently - in the wrestling room, on the bus or at their respective homes. They’d spend hours re-living each meet, nit-picking what they could’ve done where. Hagedorn was the master of the scouting report. Kinley knew he was always available to bounce an idea off him. He could instantly pick up on a wrestler’s tendencies and weaknesses just in a single match. Hagedorn was big on situational wrestling as well, pounding techniques and styles into his wrestler’s heads.
The Rams rang together a tremendous winning streak with Hagedorn and Kinley running the show, capturing victory in 40 straight dual meets. The streak spanned several years as the Rams piled up numerous conference titles and district championships.
Hagedorn’s sons were quite the wrestlers as well. David won the 1979 state championship while his other son Mark wasn’t too bad himself. Rosemary and Harry were parents to five kids in all, the two sons and three girls.
“I don’t think they missed any of their kids activities,” Kinley said.
Rosemary was Harry’s biggest supporter, running the concession stand at youth tournaments and even playing chauffeur to the Kinley kids.
His teaching at the high school level was well-regarded, too. He was known just as much for his thoughts in the classroom. But, for every case of Hagedorn’s mathematician genius, there’s an equally impressive story from way of the wrestling room.
“His efforts helped move Jefferson wrestling from insignificant status to a respectable 2A program,” Jefferson graduate Mike Oakes said on social media after Hagedorn’s passing. Oakes was a 1982 state runner-up after spending most of the year ranked number one.  
“Although Harry left the wrestling room many long years ago, his legacy is still evident in the area’s youth wresting among those who share my surname (whether or not they realize it),” he continued. “Some of his spirit is now seeded here in Pennsylvania. We say around here that wrestling success takes a village; Harry was part of my village.”
Hagedorn was never one to only offer up ideas and not implement them himself. He practiced what he preached, which often left his wrestlers dreading practices. His physical strength allowed him to be one of the most feared wrestlers in the room. When it came time for demonstrations, though Hagedorn would never hurt a soul, he still scared many of the athletes. He had a tremendous way of teaching, but it still evoked fear.
“Any kid that was his practice partner, they’d try to shoot on him and he’d sprawl with his hips and crunch you to the mat,” Kinley said. “Those strong forearms would run across you. He would always do it in a gentle and appropriate way, but he was just someone you don’t want to deal with (on the mat). I think (in the kid’s) mind, they’re going to get their head ripped off. But, he was really effective at showing kids how to do that.”
The wrestling numbers were always strong during the latter years of Hagedorn’s tenure, once drawing 11 seniors in a single season. That depth is really what propelled Jefferson doing those winters.
“Harry really helped create a culture,” Kinley said. “All those kids felt they were valued, that they were contributing to the success.”
Sadly, Kinley never got to tell Hagedorn one final time how much he meant to him and his family. His March trip to see the old coach in Missouri was derailed because of Hagedorn’s illness and the COVID-19 restrictions. It really ate him up knowing he couldn’t see him off. He had a few more ideas in the chamber, and surely his old friend did as well.
“You could depend on Harry,” Kinley said. “Regardless of who you were, in the practice room or ability-wise, Harry helped everybody be the best that they could be.”

 

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