Honoring a Legacy | A Tribute to Head Wrestling Coach Chad Giraffa ’88

If you’ve spent any time around the Delone Catholic wrestling room over the last nine seasons, you know it takes a special kind of leader to balance the intense grit of the sport with the heart it takes to build up young athletes. After leading the Squires since 2017, Head Coach Chad Giraffa ’88, P'12, P'24, P'25, is stepping down from the mat—leaving behind a legacy that goes far beyond wins and losses.

Coach Giraffa’s tenure (running from 2017-18 through this past 2025-26 season) has been defined by his unwavering commitment to his alma mater. Under his watch, the Squires reached incredible heights, pushing the team to a second-place finish in YAIAA Division III. But Chad wasn't just focused on the lineup he had; he was looking to the future. In 2024-25, he was instrumental in introducing girls' wrestling to DCHS, opening doors for an entirely new generation of wrestlers.

The Legacy on Paper

While Chad would probably be the first to deflect the credit to his kids, the numbers from his time as boys' head coach speak volumes about his dedication to player development:

• 60 District 3 Section 1 Qualifiers (with 5 Section Champions)
• 23 District 3 Qualifiers (with 3 District Champions)
• 13 PIAA South East Regional Qualifiers
• 7 PIAA State Qualifiers (including 3 State Medalists)

His coaching career hit a historic high note this past season, guiding Gavin Green ’27 to a 2026 PIAA 2A State Runner-Up finish—marking Delone Catholic’s first state finalist in 16 years.

But if you want to know who Chad really is as a coach, you don't look at the stats. You listen to his wrestlers. As Gavin Green puts it:

"Coach Chad is the best coach that I could have asked for over the 3 years I spent with him. He never failed to make me laugh and always was uplifting no matter what struggles and challenges I faced off and on the mat. I am going to miss Coach Chad a lot, but I do know that he isn’t far and he will always be in my corner no matter what. He does still need to work on his parking though, it’s not the best."

A Program Built on Family

Wrestling is a demanding sport, and nobody knows that better than a coach’s family. The success of DCHS wrestling over the last nine years has truly been a team effort at home.

We owe a massive debt of gratitude to Chad’s wife, Kim, whose patience, sacrifices, and support kept the program running behind the scenes. And it was a true family affair on the mat, too. Chad had the rare and special privilege of coaching his sons, Domonic ’24 and Gino ’25, while his stepson, Zach Kale ’12, helped anchor the family's deep roots in the program.

Thank you, Coach Chad, for the sweat, the laughs, the life lessons, and for always being in our corner. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement from the whistle. Once a Squire, always a Squire!