Joe Seay

April 29, 1939 - July 11, 2019

After leading his teams at Cal State-Bakersfield and Oklahoma State to a total of nine NCAA championships, Joe Seay then coached the USA to milestone victories in the Goodwill Games, World Championships and Olympic Games.

Seay wrestled three years at Kansas State University and later won three national Greco-Roman crowns while placing second twice in Freestyle. He received his bachelor's degree from Kansas State in 1963 and his master's degree from KSU in 1964.

But it was as a coach at all levels that he earned lasting renown.

Starting with eight years at Bakersfield South High in California, he compiled a record of 177-12-2 and was national high school Coach of the Year. Moving across town to Cal State, he coached a dozen years and won seven Division II national championships with a record of 189-56-2. At Oklahoma State, from 1985 to 1992, he went 114-8-2 with back-to-back Division I crowns in 1989 and 1990.

His folkstyle record adds up to 480 victories and an .859 winning percentage. He is the only coach to win collegiate team titles in both divisions, and he was named national Coach of the Year five times.

When his collegiate coaching career ended in 1992, Seay quickly stepped into a major role on the international scene. Already closely affiliated with the Sunkist Kids program, he became their head coach and continued the club's still unbroken streak of national freestyle championships.

He coached the USA to its first-ever Senior World Freestyle championship in 1993 and repeated two years later, also leading a Pan American Games victory in 1995. And at the Centennial Olympics in Atlanta, Seay's wrestlers won the medal count.

As a coach who has left an indelible mark on all levels of the sport, Joe Van Seay is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
2021
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
California
Year
1998
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
2006
School
Tennessee-Chattanooga
Division
Division I
Duals
25
Wins
16
Losses
8
Ties
1
Win PCT.
64
Season
1991
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
15
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
83.33
Season
1990
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
18
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
94.74
Season
1989
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
24
Wins
22
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
91.67
Season
1988
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
16
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
88.89
Season
1987
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
18
Losses
1
Ties
1
Win PCT.
90
Season
1986
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
18
Wins
12
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1985
School
Oklahoma State
Division
Division I
Duals
17
Wins
13
Losses
3
Ties
1
Win PCT.
76.47
Season
1984
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
20
Wins
14
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
70
Season
1983
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
23
Wins
16
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
69.57
Season
1982
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
21
Wins
14
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1981
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
25
Wins
22
Losses
2
Ties
1
Win PCT.
88
Season
1980
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
21
Wins
18
Losses
2
Ties
1
Win PCT.
85.71
Season
1979
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
17
Wins
14
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
82.35
Season
1978
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
18
Wins
16
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
88.89
Season
1977
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
20
Wins
16
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1976
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
21
Wins
18
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
85.71
Season
1975
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
20
Wins
16
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1974
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
23
Wins
14
Losses
9
Ties
0
Win PCT.
60.87
Season
1973
School
Cal State-Bakersfield
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
9
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
56.25
Season
Career
Duals
404
Wins
317
Losses
82
Ties
5
Win PCT.
78.47

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