George “Doppy” Doherty was one of the finest grapplers of the Dr. Theodore H. Rupp coaching era at Millersville.
He posted a 30-2 career record (10-0, 1949-50; 8-0, 1950-51; 5-1, 1951-52; and 7-1, 1952-53), including 13 victories by fall.
A 1953 graduate with a bachelor's of science in education degree, Doherty captured Pennsylvania State Teachers College Conference championship honors in the 167-lb. weight class three times: 1950, 1951 and 1952. He was 177-lb. conference runner-up in ’53 when he was defeated in a 3-2 referee’s decision by Lock Haven’s Bob Craig, who went on to achieve legendary status as a football and wrestling coach at Cedar Crest High School. Doherty’s heroics on the mat helped Millersville claim its second state championship title in 1951.
In his ‘Ville career, Doherty won the 1951 AAU Mid-Atlantic championship and the 1953 IC4A title. As a senior, he was team captain and served as a student-athlete assistant. Following completion of his varsity career, Doherty received the 1953 Theodore H. Rupp Award as outstanding Marauder wrestler.
After graduation, Doherty returned to his native Long Island (N.Y.) and founded the wrestling program at Berner High School (Massapequa School District). He guided the mat program from 1953 to 1974 and amassed an impressive overall dual meet record of 182-56-2. During his tenure, he coached two New York State champions, 10 state placewinners, 10 Nassau County champions, and 34 state qualifiers.
In his vocation, Doherty was an industrial arts teacher at Berner. He received Teacher of the Year honors from the Massapequa School District and was cited by the Town of Oyster Bay with its Memorial Award.
As a scholastic student-athlete at Amityville High, Doherty earned Long Island titles in 1947 and 1948 and earned New York State AAU freestyle championship laurels.
Doherty was inducted posthumously into the New York State Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the Legends of Nassau County Wrestling Award in 1994.
After his untimely passing in 1974, Millersville established the George “Doppy” Doherty endowed wrestling scholarship.
