It is with a very heavy heart that I brings the sad news that Armand Cacciatore passed away on Wednesday night. In 2007 "Ace" as he was known as was inducted in the Upstate New York Chapter's Hall of Fame. Ace was a famous football and wrestling coach throughout the state. Furthermore, recently the wrestling room at Niagara High School was dedicated as the Armand Cacciatore wrestling room. He will be greatly missed but remembered to all for generations to come. See below an article that was written in his memory.
Legendary Niagara-Wheatfield Coach Armand “Ace” Cacciatore Dies at 91
Hall of Fame football and wrestling coach leaves behind a remarkable legacy of championships, mentorship and faith.
NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — Armand “Ace” Cacciatore, the legendary Niagara-Wheatfield High School football and wrestling coach whose remarkable career spanned four decades and whose influence reached far beyond the athletic fields and wrestling mats, passed away Wednesday, November 11, 2026. He was 91.
Known affectionately as “Ace” to friends and colleagues, but simply as “Coach” to generations of former athletes, Cacciatore was among the most successful and respected high school coaches in Western New York history.
His extraordinary coaching career included hundreds of victories, numerous league and sectional championships, and induction into eight Halls of Fame. Yet, for those who knew him best, his greatest accomplishments were measured not in victories or trophies, but in the lives of the young men he helped shape.
A native of Niagara Falls, Cacciatore began his coaching career at Glendive High School in Montana, after graduating from Montana State, during the late 1950s before returning to Western New York and joining the Niagara-Wheatfield faculty in 1960.
He established the school's wrestling program in the early 1960s, building it from humble beginnings into one of the most dominant programs in New York State.
Under his leadership, the Falcons compiled an extraordinary 330-30 dual-meet record, captured 17 Niagara Frontier League championships and earned numerous Section VI titles. His teams produced remarkable winning streaks of 75 and 55 consecutive matches, with 36 of his wrestlers becoming Section VI champions and advanced to New York State championships.
Cacciatore's success was hardly limited to the wrestling mat.
Named Niagara-Wheatfield's head varsity football coach in 1970, he transformed the Falcons into one of the area's most competitive programs. Within three seasons, Niagara-Wheatfield captured its first league championship.
During his 26-year football coaching career, Cacciatore's teams recorded more than 150 victories, won seven divisional championships and three Section VI Class AA titles, and made five appearances in championship games at Rich Stadium.
His football teams also advanced deep into the New York State playoffs, including a memorable semifinal appearance that ended with a heartbreaking overtime loss to Vestal.
He was named Section VI Football Coach of the Year in 1987, 1994 and 1996, recognition of his ability to consistently develop winning teams and outstanding athletes.
His accomplishments brought recognition from organizations throughout New York State and beyond.
Among his many honors were induction into the Niagara-Wheatfield Athletic Hall of Fame, the New York State Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, the Upper New York State Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, the Section VI Hall of Fame, the Western New York Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Niagara Falls Sports Hall of Fame.
He was also inducted into Niagara-Wheatfield's Falcon Wall of Fame in 2018, recognizing his lifetime contributions to the school district and community. Then, in June 2019, Niagara-Wheatfield officially dedicated its wrestling room in his name.
Surrounded by former wrestlers, fellow coaches, friends and family, an emotional Cacciatore reflected on the recognition and his lifelong association with the school.
Despite the championships and individual honors, Cacciatore's influence extended well beyond athletics.
He was a demanding but compassionate coach who emphasized discipline, hard work, personal responsibility and respect. He took a genuine interest in his athletes' lives, helping many obtain college scholarships and encouraging others to overcome personal challenges.
For countless former Falcons, the lessons learned from Coach Cacciatore remained with them long after their playing days ended.
His influence could be seen in the many former athletes who returned over the years to thank him, share their accomplishments and introduce him to their families.
Cacciatore was also a man of deep Christian faith, a commitment that guided both his personal life and his approach to coaching.
A longtime participant in Christian Athletes in Action, he spent nine years working with the Jerry Butler Christian Athletes in Action Football Camps, combining his love of sports with his desire to help young people develop spiritually.
Alongside him throughout much of his remarkable journey was his beloved wife, Mimi, who became a familiar presence to generations of Niagara-Wheatfield athletes and their families.
Together, they developed friendships that extended well beyond the football season or wrestling schedule, becoming part of the extended families of many former players.
For more than six decades, Cacciatore was a towering figure in the Niagara-Wheatfield community, respected not only for the championships he won but for the character he demonstrated and the values he instilled.
The wrestling room that bears his name, the championship banners hanging in the school and the numerous Hall of Fame plaques honoring his achievements will serve as permanent reminders of his extraordinary career.
But his most enduring legacy lives in the thousands of young men whose lives were touched by his leadership, friendship and faith.
To the record books, he was Armand “Ace” Cacciatore, one of Western New York's greatest coaches.
To generations of young men, he was something much more personal.
He was simply “Coach.”