John Lee guided the Harvard wrestling program as an assistant and head coach for 31 seasons, from 1956 to 1986. He spent his first 13 years as an assistant under Bob Pickett, until being named head coach in 1969. In his 18 years at the helm, Lee guided Harvard to a 175-132-3 record. Among the many outstanding individuals he coached, Lee oversaw the development of 1984 Olympic alternate Paul Widerman, 1983 Eastern heavyweight champion Jim Phills, and Division I All-Americans Ritchie Starr ('71) and Andy McNerney ('83). In addition to his contributions at the college level, Lee also served on the U.S. Olympic Committee for the 1968 and 1972 games.

Before his coaching success, Lee enjoyed one of the greatest careers the Harvard program has ever seen on the mat. He was the National AAU champion at 121 pounds as a sophomore in 1952. During his junior and senior seasons, he earned top four finishes at both the National AAU and NCAA Championships. He was also an alternate on the 1951 Pan-American Team and a finalist at the 1952 Olympic Trials.

Prior to coming to Harvard, Lee attended Exeter High School, where he compiled a 24-4 record as a wrestler. A more notable achievement, however, came when Lee and some classmates petitioned the faculty and went to the first-ever annual New England Interscholastic Meet at Milton Academy in 1949. Lee graduated from Exeter that same year and completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard in 1953. He then earned an MBA from the University of Michigan in 1955, before returning to Harvard to begin his storied coaching career. Lee was elected to the Harvard Varsity Club in 1972, and is one of just two wrestlers to hold that honor. He is currently retired in Holmes Beach, Florida.