RON MASANEK BY THE NUMBERS
23: Greater Miami Conference team titles
200: GMC champions
127: Sectional champions
150: State qualifiers
43: State placers
42: Individual district champions
6: State champions
9: All-Americans
Ron Masanek never thought he’d be the head wrestling coach at Fairfield High School for 48 years.
“I always was thinking one year at a time,” Masanek said. “As a coach, you are on a one-year contract and what happens, happens. I was very, very fortunate.”
Masanek recently stepped down as the head coach for personal reasons. Longtime assistant – and former state champ at Fairfield – Jason Laflin has been tapped to take over.
“I thought I might make it to 50,” said Masanek, who was an assistant coach at Miami University for a year before taking the Fairfield job. “But sometimes situations occur that you can’t control.”
“I think Ron’s records speak for themselves,” Fairfield Athletic Director Mark Harden said. “His biggest impact was how he created a family in the program and what a great leader he is. He is a man of great character and that that is one of the things he instilled in his young men.”
It’s common for alumni to return to FHS to watch practice and matches.
“I always talked about the program as a family,” Masanek said. “They come in as boys and leave as men. They become lifelong friends and that is part of the tradition of Fairfield wrestling. It always makes me feel good when they (alumni) stop by.”
Masanek’s career numbers are staggering. He coached the Indians to 23 Greater Miami Conference titles, 15 sectional championships and eight district titles. FHS finished third in the state twice. Under his tutelage, the Indians had 200 GMC champs, 127 sectional champs, 42 district champs and 150 state qualifiers. FHS had six state champs and 43 state placers with nine wrestlers earning All-American honors.
“Coach had a huge impact on me as a wrestler and person,” four-time state champ and former Miamisburg head coach Willie Wineberg said. “I bought into everything he said and it worked. He was an amazing coach. He is the reason that I wanted to become a coach because I saw the impact that he could have on young men and wrestlers. He has had such a huge influence on the sport of wrestling in southwest Ohio, from developing coaches in the area, growing the sport, and making southwest Ohio competitive at the state level.”
Laflin was a four-time state qualifier and claimed a state title his senior year. He was one of the nine All-Americans Masanek produced.
“The biggest thing I picked up from him was values,” Laflin said. “They are the same ones I use in my life. Loyalty, hard work and dedication. He was a leader you wanted to go to work for. He prepared you and you wanted to go out and battle for him.”
Laflin has been an assistant coach at FHS for 11 years after finishing a successful career as a collegiate wrestler.
“I think (Ron) leaned on Jason a lot the last couple of years,” Harden said. “Jason has incredible loyalty to Ron and the program. Clearly, Ron was the head coach, but it was also clear that Jason had a huge role since he has been here. Ron trusted him, and we feel the same way. We know our program is in good hands.”
While the transition should be fairly seamless, Laflin knows keeping the tradition going won’t be as easy.
“The kids and parents know me, so they should be comfortable with me,” Laflin said. “I know it will be anything but easy to keep the program at the standard everyone is used to. There is no quit in me, I will do whatever is necessary to keep it going, but I have some big shoes fill.”
Masanek has no doubts the next generation of Fairfield wrestlers are in good hands.
“He is like a son to me,” Masanek said. “I never had a son wrestle, but he is the quality of a son I would love to have. I am turning something over that I cherish and love to someone who feels the same way about it I do and that is a good feeling.”
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