Former Kent State wrestling coach Ron Gray will be one of four distinguished members inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on June 1 in Stillwater, Okla.

Gray coached the Golden Flashes for 25 seasons, leading them to nine Mid-American Conference titles from 1977-1990.  Kent State finished 14th at the NCAA Championships on two occasions (1981 & 1984) during his tenure. 

In all, Gray's teams earned 233 dual meet victories and produced six All-Americans.  From 1981-93, the Flashes never lost more than one conference dual in a season.

As a wrestler, Gray was a two-time NCAA champion and a three-time NCAA finalist at Iowa State.  In 1959, he won the NCAA Championships' Outstanding Wrestler Award.

"This class of inductees for 2013 represents not only a standard of excellence achieved in the three styles of wrestling (folkstyle, freestyle and Greco-Roman) contested in the United States, but also includes those who have taken lessons learned from the sport to excel in other walks of life," said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. "This group of inductees defines what it means when we say that America Needs Wrestling."

Gray also recruited and coached Kent State's current head wrestling coach, Jim Andrassy.  The Flashes' 2012-13 wrestling season begins Sunday, Nov. 4 at the Buffalo Invitational.

 

 

Aaron Chimenti

Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

Kent State University

Contact for Football, Wrestling