Brendan Weir, center, will be replacing Sebbu Amato as head coach at Trinity College in Hartford. (Photo courtesy Trinity College)
Long-time head coach Sebastian “Sebby” Amato is retiring as the head coach at Trinity College and will be replaced by Brendan Weir, the school announced Friday in a post on their website.
Weir, a native of Maine, wrestled in college at the University of Southern Maine and has spent the last five seasons as a full-time assistant coach on Amato’s staff.
Amato has the most wins of any coach in Trinity’s wrestling history with a career dual meet record of 216-259-3 in two separate tenures. He coached 19 years from 1986 through 2005 and returned in 2019-20 for another seven seasons through the 2025-26 season. The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out the 2020-21 season.
He coached 10 NCAA Division III All-Americans, had 18 NCAA Division III national tournament qualifiers and 68 New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) All-New England wrestlers.
“While it is bittersweet to have him step away from the program that he built up to the national level, coach Amato leaves the program in a strong position, with a competitive and talented roster and the ability to continue to pursue championship aspirations well into the future,” said Gavin Viano, Trinity College’s Director of Athletics.
Under Amato, Trinity won their only NEWA championship in 2000-01, a season that the Bantams had a program-best record of 23-3. He was named New England coach of the year in 2000-01. His Bantams won the NECCWA Duals title in 2002-03.
Amato attended Western New England College in Springfield, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business marketing. Competing at 142 pounds, he won a New England Championship title (1984) and competed in a national tournament three times – once at the NAIA national tournament and twice at the NCAA Division III national championships.
In high school, Amato wrestled at Pulaski High in New Britain, winning a Class S title in 1980 and helping the Generals win two state championships.
Prior to Trinity, Amato served as an assistant coach at both Wesleyan University and Central Connecticut State University.
Amato is a member of the NECCWA (New England Collegiate Conference Wrestling Association) Hall of Fame, the Western New England University Athletic Hall of Fame, and the New Britain Athletic Hall of Fame.
Before joining the Trinity staff, Weir spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Western New England University, helping Western produce three NCAA Division III All-American wrestlers.
In the five seasons on Amato’s staff, Weir has been an integral part of the development of the Bantam wrestling program. Trinity had two winning seasons in 2022 (12-9) and 2023 (13-9) and qualified wrestlers for the NCAA Division III national championships in 2023 and 2026.
He is the ninth head coach in team history. The first Trinity College wrestling team hit the mat in December 1975 — more than a half-century ago.
“I’m extremely honored and excited to be named head wrestling coach at Trinity College,” said Weir. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to build on the momentum and success coach Amato has brought back to this program. I want to thank coach Amato for his dedication to Trinity wrestling and for the mentorship he has provided throughout my time coaching alongside him.”
A former team captain at Southern Maine, Weir was a two-time Northeast Region placewinner and earned NEWA All-Conference and All-Academic recognition three times. He was also a 2016 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-American.
“Brendan Weir has poured his heart and soul into Bantam wrestling (program) since being hired by coach Amato in 2021,” Viano said.
Trinity’s last winning season came in 2023 with a 13-9 record although the Bantams came close to a winning record in 2026 (8-9) and in 2024 (11-12). Their best finish in the NCAA regional tournament was sixth place in 2023 in the Northeast Regional. Beginning last season, the regional tournament is called the Region I tournament and the Bantams were seventh.
The program’s most recent All-American wrestler was Michael Blair of Plymouth, N.H., a four-time All-American for Trinity, who was seventh at 285 in 2006. Blair’s best finish at the NCAA Div. III national championships was a pair of third place finishes in 2005 and 2004.
