After placing in the state for Sycamore High School, Leo Kocher entered Northwestern University, where he enjoyed an outstanding competitive career.

He was team co-captain his senior year, a two-time Midlands runner-up at 158 pounds and an alternate at 163 pounds for the World University Games freestyle team.

Leo then earned distinction in national and international competition, winning the Montreal Open in 1974 and capturing second place in the 1974 U.S. Freestyle National Open. Other career highlights include a bronze medal in the 1973 Greco-Roman Nationals and a fourth-place effort at the 1976 AAU Freestyle National Open.

He earned a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in education from Northwestern and an MBA from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business.

Before taking the head coaching post at the University of Chicago, he served a two-year stint as assistant coach at Northern Illinois University.

During his 44-year tenure at Chicago, Leo has developed a nationally competitive wrestling program and has coached a NCAA Division III champion, a NCAA Division III Outstanding Wrestler, 32 All-Americans, and 144 individual University Athletic Association (UAA) champions.

He has led the Maroons to 18 UAA team titles and four top-15 finishes in the national championships.

Kocher also served on the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee while also working continually to fight the unintended consequences of Title IX and the ill effects of proportionality on college athletics.

He received the Meritorious Service award from the National Wrestling Coaches Association in 1997.

Leo is also a member of the Illinois Wrestling Coaches Officials Association Hall of Fame and was named the 2002 IWCOA Man of the Year.