McCallie's Gordon Connell Steps Down as Head Coach

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The McCallie blue baton has been passed.

 

No, Blue Tornado wrestling coach Gordon Connell did not leave his wrestling shoes in the middle of the McCallie dining hall – a wrestlers' sign of retirement – Sunday afternoon at the team banquet, but his title as changed.

 

McCallie athletics director Bubba Simmons said, “Gordon’s new title is 'head coach emeritus'.â€

 

Connell and Mike Newman have shared the title as co-head coach the past four years and Newman now takes over the head coaching duties with Connell serving in a variety of capacities in the wrestling program.

 

“Forty years is a long time to be a head coach and serving in another capacity gives me flexibility to do more coaching on the mat and less administrative work,†stated Connell who did hand a blue baton to Newman during the banquet.

 

In his 31 years as McCallie head coach, Connell has led the team to seven state traditional and six state duals championships, a national top 20 ranking with 67 individual state champs and seven McCallie Invitational titles.

 

Simmons said, “We are excited that Gordon will continue to support the program and have more one-on-one coaching interactions with all our wrestlers. He understands what it takes to succeed, and the boys will benefit from his continued presence. I also congratulate Mike, and I’m looking forward to working with him as he takes the reins.â€

 

A charter member of the Tennessee chapter of the national wrestling hall of fame, Connell coached three years at Hixson in the early 1970s, leading the Wildcats to the 1973 state championship, followed by six years at Middle Tennessee State before taking over the McCallie program for the 1980-81 season.

 

“I owe a great deal of what I know as a wrestler and coach to Gordon,†said Newman who was Hunters Lane’s first wrestling state champ in 1988.

 

“My dad would take me to freestyle tournaments in the early 1980s when I was in middle school and he would tell me to pay close attention to coach Connell and the McCallie wrestlers because they had such a great knowledge of the sport.â€

 

Connell has won at least one individual or team championship in five decades (1960s-2000s) and is one of two former Tennessee state champions to have won a world medal. The other being Bill Harlow of St. Andrews (1962).

 

He won a 1966 state championship at Brainerd High School, led Hixson to the aforementioned state crown in the 1970s, guided McCallie to state wins in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and his Veterans World Freestyle title in 2004 in the Czech Republic.

 

“Mike will do a great job, and I’m looking forward to supporting him in any way I can,†stated Connell.

 

 

 

McCallie Head Coaches:

(1946-present)

Lt. Col. David Spencer (1946-47, '52, '55-'72)

James Lyle (1948-51)

Charles Goldfinch (1953, '54)

Harry Linn (1973-80)

Gordon Connell (1981-2007)

*Gordon Connell (2008-2011)

*Mike Newman (2008-2011)

Mike Newman (2012-

* co-head coach

 

 

story is also posted on chattanoogan.com

Edited March 14, 2011 by bbb

[takedown3]

With Connell, Morgan and Logsdon retiring or retired, will we see Bradley wrestling McCallie and Baylor again?

[PUMMELKING]

The McCallie blue baton has been passed.

 

No, Blue Tornado wrestling coach Gordon Connell did not leave his wrestling shoes in the middle of the McCallie dining hall – a wrestlers' sign of retirement – Sunday afternoon at the team banquet, but his title as changed.

 

McCallie athletics director Bubba Simmons said, “Gordon’s new title is head coach emeritus.â€

 

Connell and Mike Newman have shared the title as co-head coach the past four years and Newman now takes over the head coaching duties with Connell serving in a variety of capacities in the wrestling program.

 

“Forty years is a long time to be a head coach and serving in another capacity gives me flexibility to do more coaching on the mat and less administrative work,†stated Connell who did hand a blue baton to Newman during the banquet.

 

In his 31 years as McCallie head coach, Connell has led the team to seven state traditional and six state duals championships, a national top 20 ranking with 67 individual state champs and seven McCallie Invitational titles.

 

Connell coached three years at Hixson in the early 1970s, leading the Wildcats to the 1973 state championship, followed by six years at Middle Tennessee State before taking over the McCallie program for the 1980-81 season.

 

“I owe a great deal of what I know as a wrestler and coach to Gordon,†said Newman who was Hunters Lane’s first wrestling state champ in 1988.

 

“My dad would take me to freestyle tournaments in the early 1980s when I was in middle school and he would tell me to pay close attention to coach Connell and the McCallie wrestlers because they had such a great knowledge of the sport.â€

 

Connell has won at least one individual or team championship in five decades (1960s-2000s) and is one of two former Tennessee state champions – the other being Bill Harlow of St. Andrews (1962) – to have won a world medal.

 

He won a 1966 state championship at Brainerd High School, led Hixson to the aforementioned state crown in the 1970s, guided McCallie to state wins in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s and his Veterans World Freestyle title in 2004 in the Czech Republic.

 

 

McCallie Head Coaches:

(1946-present)

Lt. Col. David Spencer (1946-47, '52, '55-'72)

James Lyle (1948-51)

Charles Goldfinch (1953, '54)

Harry Linn (1973-80)

Gordon Connell (1981-2007)

*Gordon Connell (2008-2011)

*Mike Newman (2008-2011)

Mike Newman (2012-

* co-head coach

 

 

story is also posted on chattanoogan.com

 

Was Don Elia not the head coach there one time?

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I noticed Harry Linn on the list as one of the past McCallie wrestling coaches. What is Harry doing now? Did he not coach in Iowa before taking the McCallie job? Did Harry not have a son that wrestled for McCallie?

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I noticed Harry Linn on the list as one of the past McCallie wrestling coaches. What is Harry doing now? Did he not coach in Iowa before taking the McCallie job? Did Harry not have a son that wrestled for McCallie?

 

 

I believe Coach Linn lives in north Alabama and his two sons wrestled for him at McCallie.

 

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