In 1979 a young brash coach from Blackwell, Oklahoma came to Shawnee by way of Oklahoma State University to take a position as Junior High wrestling coach. People from Blackwell will tell you that he was first and foremost a baseball player, probably one of the best ever in Blackwell. However, he brought a
"take no prisoners" attitude to wrestling in Shawnee and in the intervening 9 years in Shawnee he turned his team into a "national power" ranked at one point as the top team in the country and he was named named by Wrestling USA magazine as the top coach of the year. Shawnee High school had a 56 match undefeated streak. He left Shawnee in 1987 to accept the head coaching position at Garden City Community college and this same in your face attitude brought Garden city three national championships in 1992,94,95 and an 81 match win streak. He left Garden City to take the coaching position at UT Chattanooga and spent 6 years there before leaving wrestling and going into private business. Oh and by the way he and wife Tammy produced three wonderful children (thanks mainly to Tammy) and the two girls were chips off the soft shoulders of their mother and Jordan might have been aided occasionally by his father to be a NCAA wrestling champion and now a fine coach at Virginia in his own right.
Mark has been elected to the Oklahoma Chapter of the National wrestling hall of fame and swill be inducted to this prestigious position on Sunday, October 11 at the Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City. Micco and Oklahomastatefan and I will be proud to be in attendance.
"take no prisoners" attitude to wrestling in Shawnee and in the intervening 9 years in Shawnee he turned his team into a "national power" ranked at one point as the top team in the country and he was named named by Wrestling USA magazine as the top coach of the year. Shawnee High school had a 56 match undefeated streak. He left Shawnee in 1987 to accept the head coaching position at Garden City Community college and this same in your face attitude brought Garden city three national championships in 1992,94,95 and an 81 match win streak. He left Garden City to take the coaching position at UT Chattanooga and spent 6 years there before leaving wrestling and going into private business. Oh and by the way he and wife Tammy produced three wonderful children (thanks mainly to Tammy) and the two girls were chips off the soft shoulders of their mother and Jordan might have been aided occasionally by his father to be a NCAA wrestling champion and now a fine coach at Virginia in his own right.
Mark has been elected to the Oklahoma Chapter of the National wrestling hall of fame and swill be inducted to this prestigious position on Sunday, October 11 at the Jim Thorpe Museum in Oklahoma City. Micco and Oklahomastatefan and I will be proud to be in attendance.
