Richard "Dick" Wince is a native of Canton, Ohio, where he was a standout in wrestling and football at Massillon Perry High School. He then attended Mount Union College in Alliance, Ohio, where he excelled as a wrestler and was a two-time national qualifier, four-time team captain, and three-time team Most Valuable Wrestler. In 1970, Wince graduated from Mount Union with a degree in English.

Remaining in Ohio, Wince started his career as the first wrestling coach at Edison Middle School in Massillon. He also coached wrestling at Glenwood, Hubbard, and GlenOak High Schools, enjoying success with both teams and individual wrestlers. Wince was twice named Northeast Ohio Coach of the Year.

In 1989, Wince and his family relocated to North Carolina, where he served as a volunteer coach in local programs and an official for NCUSA Wrestling. In 1990, he was hired as the head wrestling coach for Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, NC. Throughout his tenure, Wince fulfilled various roles at the university, including head coach for 20 seasons, assistant football coach for three seasons, head cross country coach for three seasons, and Director of Wrestling Operations for two seasons, before retiring from the University in 2012. During his time as a coach, Wince guided Gardner-Webb's wrestling program through transitions from NAIA to Division II, eventually achieving a competitive mid-major program at the NCAA Division I level.

Under Wince's leadership, the Runnin' Bulldogs produced a total of 16 NCAA Division I national qualifiers. In both 2006 and 2011, he qualified four wrestlers for the Division I national tournament, the current school record. Notably, his son, Erick, was Wince's first NCAA Division I qualifier in 2003 and is currently the head coach at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. Throughout Gardner-Webb's NAIA and NCAA Division II history, four of Wince's wrestlers earned All-America honors, and eight of his wrestlers received Academic All-America honors.

Apart from coaching, Wince has officiated high school, college, Greco-Roman, and Freestyle wrestling for over 30 years. He served in various roles in NCUSA Wrestling from 1989 until 2021. Wince's contributions to wrestling have earned him multiple accolades, including being named USA Wrestling FILA Junior University Person of the Year (2003), NC Person of the Year for wrestling (2003), and the Frank E. Rader Person of the Year for NC USA Wrestling (2012). Additionally, officiating has earned him the Bobby Walton Award (2013), the NC USA Wrestling Official of the Year (2013), and the USWOA Lifetime Achievement Award (2017). In 2012, Wince was inducted into the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.