Building a Champion: Coach Eric Morley on Middletown North Wrestling’s Rise, Culture, and Grit

In Episode 361 of Airey Bros Radio, we step back onto the mat with Middletown North Wrestling Head Coach Eric Morley, a special education teacher and Shore Conference leader who took the Lions from a losing record to a Top 6 team in New Jersey.Coach Morley breaks down how he’s building a blue-collar powerhouse from the ground up—emphasizing culture, consistency, and character.

We talk about:

• Turning around an 8–12 team into a 24–2 juggernaut
  
  
• Coaching state champ Tyler Klinsky from middle school to Atlantic City
  
  
• Lessons learned from Jay Nace and Rob Nucci
  
  
• Balancing teaching, fatherhood, and two varsity sports
  
  
• Why “tough together” isn’t just a slogan—it’s the standard
  
  

If you're a coach, wrestler, parent, or fan of grassroots growth and old-school grit, this episode is for you.🎧 Now streaming on all platforms:
🔗 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/61TKhMCXCfmfZRYb22saFe
📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Aireybros
📲 Follow us on IG: @aireybrosradio

Timestamps / Show Notes
0:00 – Intro: The vision behind Airey Bros
1:08 – Middletown North's breakout season: From 8–12 to 24–2
3:00 – Shore Conference roots and shoutouts
6:00 – Coach Morley’s origin story in wrestling and teaching
10:00 – Coaching both soccer and wrestling at the varsity level
13:00 – Building culture at a blue-collar public school
20:00 – Beating Howell for the first time in 20 years
24:00 – Developing champions like Tyler Klinsky
31:00 – Sacrificing wins to build long-term grit
37:00 – How Middletown North wins without a wrestling room
45:00 – Coaching life lessons & tough conversations
50:00 – Raising the bar with special ed students
56:00 – On trades, vocations, and success beyond sports
1:05:00 – What’s ahead for the 2025–26 season
1:10:00 – Final Four: Daily rituals, coffee, music, guilty pleasures
1:15:00 – Closing reflections + gratitude