Gordon Connell was inducted into Tennessee's inaugural class in 1995. There is nothing on his wrestling resume over the last 60 years that isn't elite. He was a 1966 high school state champion at Brainerd in Chattanooga and Veteran World Champion in 2004 held in the Czech Republic. He was the head coach at Middle Tennessee State University, during its brief stint as a DI wrestling program that produced legendary coaches Pat (Father Ryan) and Frank Simpson (Montgomery Bell Academy). He has been at the helm of The McCallie School until 2011 where is now Head Coach Emeritus (2023) and guiding a third generation of Connells.

Gordon has led videographers of the NCAA Championship matches for many years, been an integral part of the organizing team to bring World Championship to Chattanooga and in 60 years of wrestling has never been pinned...aside from a cameo appearance in Foxcatcher (2013)-where Gordon played a wrestler paid to take a dive against John du Pont (played by Steve Carell) in the US Nationals.