A $1 million commitment from Bob Ortenzio ’79 to endow the women’s wrestling head coaching position will provide lasting leadership for one of Gettysburg’s newest sports. This endowment will expand opportunities for student-athletes and help the College build a nationally competitive program grounded in ambition, stability, and long-term support.
Bob Ortenzio ’79 understands the appeal of building something from the ground up.
As co-founder and executive chairman of Select Medical, Ortenzio helped grow a company headquartered in central Pennsylvania into a nationally recognized leader in health care. When Gettysburg College shared its vision for a new women’s wrestling program, he recognized some of the same elements that have inspired him throughout his professional life: an ambitious idea, experienced leadership, and the opportunity to create something lasting.
The program also brought together several parts of Ortenzio’s personal story. A three-time All-American and Hall of Fame wrestler at Gettysburg, he comes from a family with deep connections to the sport. He also believes strongly in creating more opportunities for women to wrestle at the collegiate level.
Together, those connections inspired Ortenzio to commit $1 million to endow the head coaching position for Gettysburg’s women’s wrestling program.
“There are so many worthy projects in education and elsewhere today, so there are a lot of opportunities for your philanthropic dollars,” Ortenzio said. “It’s really great when you find something that has the elements that resonate with you or reach you.”
The full package
Ortenzio was already familiar with Gettysburg’s plans to strengthen the student experience when Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell ’95 contacted him to discuss the College’s athletic priorities. As a fellow former Gettysburg wrestler, Dell shared an immediate connection with Ortenzio.
When their conversation turned to women’s wrestling, Ortenzio was intrigued.
“It’s Gettysburg. It’s where I came from and where I had great memories wrestling,” Ortenzio said. “It’s wrestling, which my family was involved in, and I’m a total believer in expanding wrestling to women. I wish it could have been done decades ago.”
“That’s how you inspire people. That’s how you inspire organizations. That’s how you get to greatness.”
– Bob Ortenzio ’79 on Gettysburg’s strategy for creating a nationally recognized women’s wrestling program.
The opportunity became even more compelling when Ortenzio learned that Gettysburg was not simply adding another team. The College intended to build a nationally competitive program from the outset, highlighted by strong leadership and long-term institutional support.
Its startup nature particularly appealed to Ortenzio’s entrepreneurial instincts.
“When I see something that’s new and we have high aspirations, that speaks to me,” he said. “We’re going to start something new, grow it, and aspire to be world-class.”
The appointment of inaugural head coach Chris Haines gave Ortenzio further confidence. Haines brings extensive experience following a highly successful coaching career at nearby Gettysburg High School, as well as strong connections within the wrestling community and an ambitious vision for recruiting and competing nationally.
“When you look at those elements, it was the full package for me,” Ortenzio said.
Built to compete
Ortenzio sees a clear parallel between Gettysburg women’s wrestling and his experience helping build Select Medical.
Although Select Medical is based near Gettysburg in central Pennsylvania, Ortenzio never believed its location should limit its aspirations. Select Medical grew by measuring itself against leading organizations nationally—not merely against other companies in its region.
“We’re not just a great company for central Pennsylvania,” Ortenzio said. “We’re a great company nationally. We compete, and we’re viewed as being as good as anybody around the United States.”
“By endowing the head coaching position, Bob Ortenzio is providing the stability, leadership, and confidence our women’s wrestling program needs to establish a strong foundation and pursue its highest aspirations.”
– Executive Director of Athletics and Recreation Troy Dell ’95.
He hears the same ambition in Gettysburg’s plans for women’s wrestling. The goal is not simply to establish a roster. It is to recruit student-athletes nationally, provide them with A Consequential Education, and build a program capable of competing with the country’s best.
“We can build something here to go toe to toe with anybody anywhere in the United States,” Ortenzio said. “That’s how you inspire people. That’s how you inspire organizations. That’s how you get to greatness.”
That vision ultimately made Ortenzio want to become part of the program’s foundation. This new commitment is the first named fully endowed head coach’s position for Gettysburg’s athletics program, meeting a priority of the College’s current comprehensive campaign to endow each team’s head coaching position.
“By endowing the head coaching position, Bob Ortenzio is providing the stability, leadership, and confidence our women’s wrestling program needs to establish a strong foundation and pursue its highest aspirations,” Dell said. “His commitment is a powerful reflection of his belief in Gettysburg, in the future of women’s wrestling, and in the transformational experience we can create for generations of student-athletes.”
A complete experience
Ortenzio’s support reflects his belief that athletics remain a vital part of the Gettysburg experience.
His own career was among the most accomplished in program history. Ortenzio won three Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) individual championships, was twice named MAC Outstanding Wrestler, and earned All-America honors in 1976, 1977, and 1979. As a first-year student, he helped Gettysburg capture its first conference team championship in 21 years.
Ortenzio was inducted into Gettysburg’s Hall of Athletic Honor in 1999 and named to the MAC Hall of Fame in 2026. In 2018, Gettysburg presented him with the Distinguished Alumni Award, the College’s highest individual alumni honor, recognizing a relationship with his alma mater defined by professional achievement, leadership, and sustained engagement.
Beyond the victories and honors, Ortenzio, a political science major, remembers a collegiate experience that enabled him to compete at a high level while preparing for the rest of his life.
“Wrestling was a big part of my experience there, and I got an education that allowed me to get my start,” he said. “I went on to law school, and then I went into business.”
Investing in Gettysburg
This most recent commitment continues Ortenzio’s longstanding support of the institution and its student-athletes.
Ortenzio and his wife, Angela, contributed more than $3 million through their family foundation toward the construction of the John F. Jaeger Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Fitness in 2009. The facility expanded opportunities for varsity athletics, recreation, fitness, and wellness across campus. Its lobby and the Robert ’79 and Angela Ortenzio Fitness Center were named in recognition of their support.
That earlier commitment helped create a space serving Gettysburg students each day. His latest investment similarly looks beyond one season or generation. By endowing the leadership of women’s wrestling, Ortenzio is establishing a permanent foundation for a program that will open new possibilities for student-athletes well into the future.
For a lifelong wrestler and experienced entrepreneur, it is another opportunity to help Gettysburg build something meaningful—and pursue an ambitious future.
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By Corey Jewart
Photos by Jason Minick, Corey Jewart
Posted: 08/19/26