By TIM TAYLORTioga County Sports Report
DRYDEN — Newark Valley coach Eric D’Arcy will join the Section IV Athletic Association Hall of Fame during an induction ceremony May 4.
“This honor is a true reflection of the Newark Valley community as a whole,” D’Arcy said. “I have been very fortunate to have coached a great group of athletes over the years. I have also been blessed with great coaches to work with, and many mentors in the sports I coached. I am very humbled by this recognition.”
The longtime, multi-sport coach has enjoyed numerous victories and other successes while guiding high school athletes on the wrestling mat, and in cross country and track & field.
“I believe that my greatest achievements have not necessarily been in the wins and losses column, but in the relationships I have had with so many people over the years,” D'Arcy said. “Being a coach is about those relationships whether it be with your athletes, the parents, faculty and staff, or the community as a whole. When I came to this area, they embraced me as one of their own, and that is a special relationship that I will always cherish.”
“Eric has served as a highly successful and respected coach for multiple decades within the Newark Valley Central School District,” his nomination stated. “He is highly admired within the local community and throughout the section for his tremendous achievements with his athletes in wrestling, cross country, and track and field.
D’Arcy began his career at Newark Valley in 1992, starting out as a Social Studies teacher and wrestling coach. He took over a wrestling program that had been underdeveloped for several years since the departure of Hall of Fame coach and official Marshall Schlosberg.
“Through his coaching expertise and dedication to the program, he elevated Newark Valley wrestling to incredible heights of success during his 28 years as head coach (33 total), with his teams consistently positioned in the New York State high school rankings,” the nomination said.
He posted a 310-128-2 career record with 20 straight winning seasons. This included seven Interscholastic Athletic Conference overall championships, 10 IAC division titles, 56 individual league champions, four Section IV Class C titles, one Section IV Division 1 title, a Section IV dual meet title, 146 sectional place winners, 25 N.Y. state tournament qualifiers, and six N.Y. state tournament place winners.
D’Arcy was also a three-time IAC Coach of the Year,two- time Section IV Class C Coach of the Year, and three-time ESPN Ithaca Coach of the Year. He also started up and has run the prestigious Larry Goodrich Wrestling Tournament for 31 years and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Upstate N.Y. Chapter, Class of 2021.
He has also coached numerous successful athletes in cross country as the head coach for 29 years, mentoring both the boys and girls’ teams.
D’Arcy’s accomplishments include a 384-81 career record with the boys and a 393-69-1 career record with the girls. Newark Valley has won more than 25 IAC division titles and 15 IAC overall championships between the two teams.
He has produced 15 IAC individual champions, seven boys Section IV titles (the 2007 champs posted a perfect score of 15), 11 girls Section IV Championships, The Cardinals also won two boys N.Y. state championships in 2007 and 2008 and the initial title was the first team championship in school history.
D’Arcy also coached six athletes who placed 12 times in the top 10 at the state championships. He has also run the renowned Bob Greene Invitational for 29 years.
He also enjoyed success as the head coach of the track and field program for 15 years, logging more than 100 coaching victories. During that time, the Cardinals have won eight IAC division championships and one Section IV Class C title, and have produced 12 N.Y. state qualifiers, eight N.Y. state place winners and one four-time N.Y. state champion.
D’Arcy’s desire to continuously improve has been key to his success as a coach.
“I believe what has made this possible is that I have always had a love of learning that was fostered by my mom and dad,” D’Arcy. “I was always trying to improve as a coach and constantly looking at ways to do that. I remember one of the people I coached with early in my career saying that you should always be working to improve, and that you need to be willing to learn from everyone around you. The day you think you are as good as you can be should be the day you decide to walk away.”
NOTE: The nomination was submitted prior to the 2024-25 wrestling season.
