Larry Wilkey was ninth-grade football manager when Blackwell High School coach Tommy Chesbro convinced him to come out for wrestling. Wilkey wrestled until graduation. As an 18-year-old freshman at Northern Oklahoma Junior College, he thought his wrestling career was over, but Coach Chesbro came around again and convinced him to coach Blackwell's seventh grade team. When Chesbro left Blackwell to coach in Stillwater, Wilkey went to Stillwater too, to attend Oklahoma State University. But his former coach came calling, asking the young Wilkey to guide the Pioneers' junior high team. Two years later, in 1974, he became Stillwater High School head coach. He remained with the Pioneers until 1980 and coached two of Chesbro's sons, Tommy Ray and current Stillwater head coach Doug, among his pupils. He was named All-State coach in 1980. Shortly afterward, he left Stillwater for Jenks where he coached until 1987, then remained with the district until his retirement in 2011. Wilkey ended his coaching career with an overall record of 109-61-1. He served as president of the Oklahoma Coaches Association, Director of USWF Oklahoma, and was twice named district Coach-of-the-Year. He continues to direct the Jenks Wrestling Tournament, now the Larry Wilkey Invitational, as well as numerous other events. For turning a favor to a coach into a lifelong vocation, Larry Wilkey is presented the 2015 Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.