Sammy Sasso’s first step after college wrestling will be in the Lehigh Valley.
The two-time PIAA champion at Nazareth and four-time NCAA All-American at Ohio State has joined head coach Pat Santoro’s coaching staff at Lehigh.
“We’re thrilled to officially welcome Sammy to the Lehigh wrestling family,” Santoro said in a statement. “We’ve known him for a long time, and I’ve always been a big fan of his. Our program has a lot of momentum right now, and bringing Sammy on board only adds to that excitement. He has one of the best minds in the sport and a rare ability to connect with people. He brings passion, perspective, and energy that will add tremendous value to our team, both on and off the mat.”
Sasso was 106-19 at Ohio State, including a 52-7 mark in dual meet competition. He was a four-time Big Ten finalist at 149 pounds, winning titles in 2021 and 2023. In four trips to the NCAA Tournament, Sasso was seeded no worse than fourth at 149. He was seeded third in 2020, earning first team NWCA All-America honors after the championship’s cancellation. Sasso was the NCAA runner-up at 149 in 2021 and 2023, and finished fifth at the 2022 NCAA Championships.
Injuries sustained in a carjacking in August 2023 near the Ohio State campus cost Sasso the 2023-24 season. He returned to action for his final year of eligibility in 2024-25. He was 12-7 at 157 and 165 for Ohio State but did not wrestle in the postseason.
Prior to his time at Ohio State, Sasso was a two-time PIAA Class 3A state champion who finished in the top three at the state tournament in all four years (2nd, 3rd, 1st, 1st) for Nazareth. Sasso was 180-11 in his high school career, including 135-3 in his final three seasons. He won championships at the prestigious Ironman, Super 32, Beast of the East and Flo Nationals tournaments.
In freestyle, Sasso won a junior national title in Fargo, N.D. and won a UWW Junior National championship in 2019 while at Ohio State.
Sasso earned a degree in sport industry from Ohio State.
Senior writer Tom Housenick can be reached at thousenick@mcall.com
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This story was originally published June 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM