PLAISTOW, N.H. — It is the gymnasium where perhaps the greatest dynasty in the history of this region, and one of the nation’s premier wrestling programs, was forged in blood, sweat and fierce dedication.
Now, fittingly, that gym has has been named in honor of the man that built that powerhouse — Hall of Fame wrestling coach Barry Chooljian.
On Wednesday, Timberlane Regional High School honored their legendary retired coach with a ceremony for the rechristening of the “Barry Chooljian Gymnasium,” in front a packed house of alumni, friends, family and supporters of the Owls wrestling program.
“This is a little bit overwhelming, but I’m very honored,” said Chooljian. “I wish I could put the name of every kid that toed the line for us on this gym, because they are the ones that put in the work. It’s always been about the kids, so it feels a little funny to be singled out. But I really do appreciate this.”
The honor comes after Chooljian, who retired following the 2019-20 season, built an unmatched legacy as one of the country’s most decorated wrestling coaches.
In 37 years leading Timberlane, Chooljian became the winningest coach in New Hampshire history with a 613-52-5 record and 10 New England titles. The Owls won the New Hampshire Meet of Champions each of his final 17 seasons and 27 of his last 28 Division I titles. They won 103 straight dual meets in the 1990s.
Chooljian, a 1977 Timberlane graduate, is a member of the New Hampshire, New England and National Halls of Fames for wrestling.
“Coach Chooljian spent a lot of time in this gym and had a lot of amazing moments in this gym, so this is very well deserved,” said Timberlane legend Jay Holder, a two-time Eagle-Tribune Wrestler of the Year (1997-98), who is now the head wrestling coach at Springfield College. “This is a very big deal. You look at all the generations that Coach impacted. It’s amazing to see people that came before me and after me.”
Serving as master of ceremonies was current assistant coach Dan Woodworth, a former Owls star (class of 2005) and son of Chooljian’s longtime co-coach, Don Woodworth. He called the honor, “nearly 50 years in the making.”
Woodworth opened the ceremony — under the bright wrestling spotlight — by recognizing the 69 former Timberlane wrestlers in attendance, dating back to 1975, before delivering a speech about Chooljian’s accomplishments, and the ways he impacted the lives of his athletes.
A large sign, reading “Barry Chooljian Gymnasium,” over the entrance, and a plaque were then unveiled, with Woodworth reading the inscription, before an emotional Chooljian stepped to the podium to thank the wrestlers he coached, their families and others that helped him along the way.
“I really did have some tremendous moments here, with the kids, and this is to celebrate them,” he said. “I want the alumni to know that they all have a part of this. I was a little uncomfortable with this, and said I didn’t think so. But the more I thought about it, and the school board went forward, the more I realized that this is for the whole program.”
Renaming the gym in Chooljian’s honor was the brainchild of current Timberlane head coach Tim Brown, a former Owls star (class of 2005) and longtime assistant for Chooljian.
“Coach was such an integral part of so many lives for such a long period of time,” said Brown, who is also an assistant principal at the school. “To repay him in some small way, and honor him for his achievements by naming the gym after him means a lot to the program.
“The school board had to approve it, so I complied a list of his achievements and presented it to the board. It actually took a lot more work than I expected, but coach has been such a mentor to me, that I wanted to do it for him. I went to (Chooljian) to get his permission. I had to twist his arm a little, and explain its important to the program. He isn’t one for self-indulgence.”
The decision was an easy one for the school board according to one of its members, Don Woodworth, who coached with Chooljian from 1981-2006.
“The board was unanimous,” said Woodworth. “Barry was a tremendous educator and counselor all while coaching. I was the head coach when he started as an assistant, and the kids loved him from the start. He had such a gift for the sport, with technique and strategy. But he also understood the value of a coach to students. The program was based on trust, persistence and the importance of family and community. When you were coached by Barry, you knew you were going to be valued and respected.”
In attendance were alumni that spanned six decades, along with Chooljian’s family — his father Robert, brother Mark, wife Carrie, daughters Lauren and Cara and grandchildren.
“It’s a lot of emotions,” said an emotional Chooljian. “My mom passed away in July, so that’s tough. She was so proud of me and loved the kids in the program. My mom and dad were our biggest fans.
“This really is about the kids. For us it was never about wins and state championships. It was about getting the best out of every kid. Every kid paid their dues, felt important and knew we cared. Every kid mattered. Even with all the winning, what meant the most was hearing from the kids that the program helped them in their future. That’s special.”
TWITTER: DWillisET