Stan Abel

April 21, 1937 - June 28, 2024

With two national championships as a wrestler, and another as a coach, Stanley Abel reached across five decades with a career marked by continuing success. Vigorous, vehement and volatile, he was one of the best-known figures in the sport. Abel always was out in front for his wrestlers, fighting as hard for them off the mat as he ever asked them to fight on the mat.

In 29 years as a head coach, he amassed more than 350 dual meet victories and a consistent 73 percent winning record against the toughest possible lineup of opponents. Abel became coach at the University of Oklahoma in 1973, successor to three other Hall of Fame coaches. His Sooners won the NCAA championship in 1974, placed second four times and only once finished out of the nation's Top 10.

He coached 15 NCAA champions and 74 All-Americans. One of his proudest moments came in 1984 when his son, Darren, earned All-America honors as an OU wrestler. The Sooners captured three Big Eight trophies and Abel was conference coach of the year three times. He was elected Amateur Wrestling News Man of the Year in 1974, and National Coach of the Year in 1985.

As a wrestler, he was a three-time collegiate All-American, placing third as a sophomore and winning the NCAA title at 130 pounds the next two years. In 1960, Abel won his second Big Eight crown, was conference wrestler of the year, and led the Sooners to the NCAA team championship. He had a career record of 53-5-1.

After posting a 69-4-2 record as coach at Putnam City High School, where he had wrestled, Abel served three years as an assistant at Ohio University, then became head coach at Cincinnati in 1972. One season later he was summoned home to Oklahoma, to continue the wrestling tradition established by Paul Keen, Port Robertson and Tommy Evans.

As an example of outstanding achievement through enthusiasm and determination, Stanley Jay Abel is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
1990
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All American Awards:

Season
1960
School
Oklahoma
Tournament
Division I
Weight
130
Place
1
Season
1959
School
Oklahoma
Tournament
Division I
Weight
130
Place
1
Season
1958
School
Oklahoma
Tournament
Division I
Weight
130
Place
3

College Season Records:

Season
1960
School
Oklahoma
Class
Senior
Bouts
22
Wins
21
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
5
Win PCT.
95.45
Place
1st
Season
1959
School
Oklahoma
Class
Junior
Bouts
18
Wins
17
Losses
0
Ties
1
Falls
0
Win PCT.
94.44
Place
1st
Season
1958
School
Oklahoma
Class
Sophomore
Bouts
9
Wins
5
Losses
4
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
55.56
Place
3rd
Season
Career
Bouts
49
Wins
43
Losses
5
Ties
1
Falls
5
Win PCT.
87.76

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
1993
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
10
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
58.82
Season
1992
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
12
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
63.16
Season
1991
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
5
Losses
14
Ties
0
Win PCT.
26.32
Season
1990
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
13
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
65
Season
1989
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
12
Losses
5
Ties
1
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1988
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
22
Wins
11
Losses
9
Ties
2
Win PCT.
50
Season
1987
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
7
Losses
9
Ties
0
Win PCT.
43.75
Season
1986
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
23
Wins
16
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
69.57
Season
1985
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
16
Losses
2
Ties
1
Win PCT.
84.21
Season
1984
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
16
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1983
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
15
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
83.33
Season
1982
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
16
Losses
3
Ties
1
Win PCT.
80
Season
1981
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
16
Wins
13
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
81.25
Season
1980
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
21
Wins
15
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
71.43
Season
1979
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
16
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
84.21
Season
1978
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
22
Wins
14
Losses
8
Ties
0
Win PCT.
63.64
Season
1977
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
8
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
57.14
Season
1976
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
14
Losses
5
Ties
1
Win PCT.
70
Season
1975
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
23
Wins
18
Losses
4
Ties
1
Win PCT.
78.26
Season
1974
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
25
Wins
19
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
76
Season
1973
School
Oklahoma
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
12
Losses
5
Ties
1
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1972
School
Cincinnati
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
6
Losses
8
Ties
0
Win PCT.
42.86
Season
1971
School
Cincinnati
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
17
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
94.44
Season
Career
Duals
441
Wins
301
Losses
132
Ties
8
Win PCT.
68.25

All Rankings:

Season
1960
Rank Date
02/08/1960
Weight
130
Rank
1
School
Oklahoma

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