Floyd Bee
Lifetime Servic An Illinois native, Floyd graduated from Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois in 1958. As a student-athlete at Lanphier Floyd qualified three times for the IHSA State Wrestling Finals. His collegiate career took him to Eastern Illinois University where he was twice All-Conference for Illinois Hall of Famer Hop Pinther. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston in 1963. Four years later he earned his Master of Science degree from the same institution. His coaching career began at Rock Island High School where he worked as an assistant to another Illinois Hall of Famer, Chet Schultz, for four years. During this time Rock Island was State Champion (1967). Floyd then moved to Warren Township for one year before seizing an opportunity to get back home. Floyd assumed the position of assistant coach to Illinois Hall of Famer Jack Gardner at Springfield Southeast for two years. In 1970-71 Floyd took over the reigns of Head Coach at Lincoln High School; under Floyd's leadership Lincoln High would establish a string of 30 consecutive winning seasons. He retired as Head Coach with a winning percentage of 73%, having won 451 dual meets along the way. He has never had a losing season in the years he coached at Lincoln. As Head Coach at Lincoln (smallest school in the Big 12) Floyd's teams produced 4 Regional Championships and 3 Conference Titles. His 1979-80 team went a perfect 19-0 in dual meets. He has had 40 State Qualifiers; 5 of which were All-Staters. Three of his athletes were Collegiate All-Americans. Floyd was also active away from the wrestling room. He was the Central Illinois Representative for the Word "” the state-wide wrestling newspaper originally put out by U. S. Speaker J. Dennis Hastert when Hastert was coaching at Yorkville. He also served as the Illinois representative for Amateur Wrestling News. From 1968 to 1975 Floyd was also the state advisor to USA Wrestling Magazine. His responsibilities included forwarding state results for publication and writing articles which included coaching tips. Floyd and his wife, Elena, started a local publication called the Railsplitter Takedown devoted to Lincoln Wrestling. In addition to his literary activities Floyd has been active in wrestling circles in still other ways. He has been a registered IHSA Wrestling official for approximately 40 years. He officiated at both the high school and collegiate level early in his career. For three years during the 1980s, Floyd served on the IHSA Wrestling Advisory Board. During his career Floyd was actively involved with the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association as both a member and a Board member. He, with the assistance of Illinois Hall of Famer Dan Fulscher, helped institute IWCOA coaches clinics during the 1990s. Among Floyd's notable honors and accomplishments are: "¢ Decatur Area Coach-of-the-Year in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1985 and 1988 "¢ Lincoln High School Teacher-of-the-Year, 1985 and 2000 "¢ Logan County Teacher-of-the-Year, 1985 "¢ National High School Athletic Coaches Association, Region 4 Coach-of-the-Year, 1994 "¢ Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Hall of Fame Inductee, 1989 "¢ Grand Marshall IHSA Individual State Tournament, 1995 "¢ George Girardi Coach's Award, 1996 "¢ Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Lifetime Achievement Award, 2004 "¢ He was instrumental in implementing a wrestling program at Lincoln Junior College "¢ He served as the Department Chairman in the Physical Education Department at Lincoln Floyd is a current member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, a "Friends of Wrestling" in support of the University of Illinois wrestling program and a member of the Board of Directors for the Midwest Nationals Wrestling Tournament. Floyd is also a Lifetime member of the IWCOA. In his "spare" time Floyd has been known to assist at various local tournaments as well as serve as a sexton at Trinity Lutheran Church in Springfield. Additionally, for more than 25 years Floyd has worked for Crown Mats providing much needed assistance in improving the programs and the facilities of high schools in both Iowa and Illinois. Finally, wrestling to the Floyd Bee family is indeed a family affair. Nineteen of Floyd's relatives have, or presently are, wrestling for various schools. This list would include a State Champion, a second, third, fourth and sixth place finisher in the IHSA State Tournament.
Awards:
Year
2006
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Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
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Chapter/Region
Illinois
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