Ed Peery

March 22, 1935 - June 15, 2010

His goals as a collegiate wrestler were clear-cut and offered no alternatives. All Ed Peery had to do to keep pace with his father and brother was to win three national championships.

Although he won 51 of 52 matches at the University of Pittsburgh, under the coaching of his father, Rex, the championships did not come easily. In all three of his NCAA finals, Ed came from behind to win.

The most difficult was his third-and the family's ninth-in his senior year of 1957. He trailed Harmon Leslie of Oklahoma State, 7-4, in the last minute of the finals, only to rally with a takedown and time advantage to send the match into overtime.

When the extensions ended in a 2-2 draw, Ed Peery was voted national champion by the judges and wrestling owned a family legend without precedent in the world of sport.

Ed Peery was born a few hours before Rex won his third NCAA title for Oklahoma State. He was named for his father's great coach, Ed Gallagher.

After a 48-1 career and two state championships at Shaler High School in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, he followed brother Hugh into the Pittsburgh lineup. For six straight years, coach Rex could find an NCAA champion at his own dinner table, Hugh in 1952-53-54, Ed in 1955-56-57. Adding a few open tournaments, Ed's over-all career numbered more than 100 victories.

For two decades, Ed was coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, guiding five Eastern team champions, a host of individual winners and nearly 200 dual meet victories. He was national coach of the year in 1969. He was a member of USA Wrestling's national teaching staff.

In recognition of his outstanding achievements as an athlete and coach, Edwin Clark Peery is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
2001
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Maryland
Year
1980
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All American Awards:

Season
1957
School
Pittsburgh
Tournament
Division I
Weight
123
Place
1
Season
1956
School
Pittsburgh
Tournament
Division I
Weight
123
Place
1
Season
1955
School
Pittsburgh
Tournament
Division I
Weight
123
Place
1

College Season Records:

Season
1957
School
Pittsburgh
Class
Senior
Bouts
18
Wins
18
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
4
Win PCT.
100
Place
1st
Season
1956
School
Pittsburgh
Class
Junior
Bouts
17
Wins
16
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
94.12
Place
1st
Season
1955
School
Pittsburgh
Class
Sophomore
Bouts
17
Wins
17
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
100
Place
1st
Season
Career
Bouts
52
Wins
51
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
4
Win PCT.
98.08

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
1987
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
16
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1986
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
21
Wins
11
Losses
10
Ties
0
Win PCT.
52.38
Season
1985
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
13
Losses
4
Ties
1
Win PCT.
72.22
Season
1984
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
15
Losses
4
Ties
1
Win PCT.
75
Season
1983
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
18
Losses
0
Ties
1
Win PCT.
94.74
Season
1982
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
22
Wins
19
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
86.36
Season
1981
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
22
Wins
18
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
81.82
Season
1980
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
23
Wins
18
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
78.26
Season
1979
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
13
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
68.42
Season
1978
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
8
Losses
11
Ties
0
Win PCT.
42.11
Season
1977
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
12
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1976
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
15
Wins
13
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
86.67
Season
1975
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
21
Wins
20
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
95.24
Season
1974
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
12
Losses
1
Ties
1
Win PCT.
85.71
Season
1973
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
11
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
68.75
Season
1972
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
15
Wins
12
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1971
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
16
Losses
1
Ties
2
Win PCT.
84.21
Season
1970
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
8
Wins
7
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
87.5
Season
1969
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
9
Losses
0
Ties
1
Win PCT.
90
Season
1968
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
9
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1967
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
7
Losses
1
Ties
1
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
1966
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
11
Wins
10
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
90.91
Season
1965
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
8
Wins
3
Losses
3
Ties
2
Win PCT.
37.5
Season
1964
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
6
Losses
2
Ties
1
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1963
School
Navy
Division
Division I
Duals
8
Wins
5
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
62.5
Season
1962
School
Navy
Division
Duals
10
Wins
4
Losses
5
Ties
1
Win PCT.
40
Season
1961
School
Navy
Division
Duals
9
Wins
6
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
Career
Duals
412
Wins
311
Losses
89
Ties
12
Win PCT.
75.49

Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations