Bruce hails from a long-time Oregon wrestling family, wrestling his high school years at Madison High School under eventual Washington State coach Jim Smith.

He was awarded a wrestling scholarship to California State University, Long Beach, compiling a career record of 66-6 and being ranked as high as first among California collegiate wrestlers in his weight class.

After graduating from college, Bruce served as assistant coach at CSULB as he prepared for the 1968 and 1972 Greco-Roman Olympic Trials.

Other coaching or assistant coaching positions include the Costa Mesa Athletic Association freestyle team, coach and captain of the U.S. Army team at Fort Ord, the U.S. Air Force national team at Norton Air Force Base, Huntington Beach High School, Fountain Valley High School, Calvert High School, Suitland High School and DeMatha High School.

As for youth coaching, his Southern Maryland Wrestling Club, including Kettering and Bowie, won 10 Capitol Area Wrestling League titles, 4 Beltway state titles, 12 Maryland State Wrestling Association folkstyle club titles and 9 MSWA freestyle/Greco-Roman club titles.

A USA Wrestling Copper Level coach and Level I referee, Bruce has also been one of Maryland's USAW national team coaches while also serving as the head coach of Maryland's Potomac Valley All-Star Challenge Cup for 16 years, the Maryland head coach of the Maryland/Virginia Senior All-Star Match team for three years and the head coach of Maryland's AAU Junior Olympic multi-sport team for several years. During his tenure at Potomac Valley, Bruce was recognized as AAU Coach of the Year.

Moreover, he was state editor for the WUSA Magazine while also writing over 60 wrestling articles for various publications since 1970.

Additionally as a wrestler, he has won numerous AAU Grand National titles, a Masters World Championship title, a World Sombo title as well as coaching the U.S Sombo team in world competitions.

Bruce and his wife Kim have 3 children, Tarin, Jason and Kevin.