2009 Mr. Mat
Paul "Bud" Billiard
by Dr. Bill Welker,
Wrestling Columnist
Paul "Bud" Billiard is considered an Ohio Valley legendary icon in the sport of football. However, most athletic enthusiasts are not aware that Coach Billiard has also been deeply involved with wrestling since the 1960s in one capacity or another.
A graduate of Wellsburg High School (1959) and West Liberty State College (1964), Coach Billiard began mentoring wrestling as an assistant coach at Wheeling Central Catholic High School. His motivational techniques undoubtedly aided in recruiting wrestlers and promoting the mat sport at Central.
After coaching at Wheeling Central, Paul Billiard accepted a teaching and coaching positions at Brooke High School. Coach Billiard had the innate ability to instill "pride" in his wrestlers, as well as all the athletes he has come in contact with over the past five decades.
During his six years at the helm of the mat program, Coach Billiard developed a competitive team that was an up incoming "wrestling machine" that everyone in the Ohio Valley highly respected. Coach Billiard receive many accolades for his mat mentoring from such wrestling dignitaries as former ultra-successful wrestling coach and National Hall of Famer, West Liberty State College's Dr. Vince Monseau, and Dick Edge, a former championship coach at old Warwood High School.
Not only did Coach Billiard produce powerful wrestling teams, he was also the "maker of champions." He molded a trio of West Virginia state gold medalists:
1974 KEVIN FELTON 98 POUNDS
1976 LOU GEARY 167 POUNDS
1977 MIKE GAMBLE 119 POUNDS
Coach Billiard also produced the following OVAC Champions during his coaching tenure at Brooke:
1973-74 KEVIN FELTON 98 POUNDS
1975 LOU GEARY 155 POUNDS
1976 BRUCE FERGUSON 112 POUNDS
1976 LOU GEARY 167 POUNDS
1977 MIKE GAMBLE 119 POUNDS
Paul Billiard, Ron Mauck, and Nolan Van Gilder organized and instituted the first Brooke Wrestling Classic, originally known as the Brooke Invitational Wrestling Tournament. In fact, Coach Billiard's "Bruin" wrestlers won one of the earlier Classics, being the only Brooke wrestling team to do so.
A major organizer of the Brooke Wrestling Boosters, Coach Billiard also sponsored the first foreign exchange Freestyle/Greco Roman match held at Brooke High School.
Paul Billiard resigned as head wrestling coach at the end of the 1978-1979 season to take over the reins of the Brooke football program. Back then a teacher in Brooke County could not be head coach in two separate sports.
The Brooke wrestling team won its first and only West Virginia AAA State Championship the following year under the guidance of Coach Merle Tournay. Certainly, Coach Billiard can also take pride in this accomplishment.
Since then, Coach Paul Billiard has been a presence at the gigantic OVAC Ron Mauck Wrestling Tournament in many different capacities. He has always been there to assist officials, coaches, and workers whenever he was needed.
Coach Paul "Bud" Billiard and his loving wife Carol have three children: Paul, Kim, and T.J. They are also the proud grandparents of Kyle (presently a sophomore on the Brooke wrestling team), Kody, Cross, Bode, Gianna, and Angelo.
Congratulations are sincerely extended to Coach Paul "Bud" Billiard - the 2009 OVAC Mr. Mat.
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