Tony Cipollone was named Mercyhurst's associate director of athletics and director of compliance on August 1, 2007. Prior to that time, Cipollone was the head wrestling coach for six years and was the assistant director of athletics for one year.

He was the first wrestling coach in Mercyhurst history and built the program into a regional and national power. With a 66-41-1 dual match record, he built a perennial top 20 program and was respected around the country, being named the chairman of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Rules Committee.

With a 32-6 win over rival Gannon on December 1, 2006 at War At The Shore, Cipollone won his 100th career match. He has a career mark of 110-90-1 after going 44-49 in five seasons at Muskingum College.

As the assistant director of athletics, Cipollone served as the academic advisor for the athletics department and oversaw the school's Student Athletic Advisory Committee.

Cipollone wrestled at Baldwin-Wallace and earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the school. He was inducted into the Baldwin-Wallace Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.