Wrestling HOF Dinner in Chattanooga - Sat Aug 20

[bbb]

A pair of wrestling coaches with more than 50 years dedicated to the sport, a national award-winning sports writer, a top level official and an important contributor to wrestling along with an Outstanding American honoree make up the Class of 2016 for the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame dinner Saturday August 20 at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

The six inductees are Paul Schulz (sports writer), Bruce Brye (contributor), David Heffington (official), Ethan Reeve (coach), Roger Vandergriff (coach) and Allan Jones who will receive the Outstanding American award

The reception is 5:30 p.m. followed by the induction dinner at 7.Tickets are $55.

If You Are Going:

Tickets: $55

Reservation Deadline: Monday Aug. 15

Event: Tenn. Chapter National Wrestling HOF Dinner

Date: Sat. August 20

Place: Chattanooga Golf and Country Club – 1511 Riverview Road

Time: 5:30 p.m. – reception … 7 p.m. – induction dinner

Make Payable To: National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Send Checks To: NWHOF  Tenn. Chapter

   109 Mansker Park Drive 

Hendersonville, Tenn.  37075

 

[hoosierdad]

Congrat's to the men who are being inducted into the Hall of Fame. These are all men who have dedicated their lives to wrestling to make it better. They are all worthy.

 

I just want to give a shout-out to Paul Schulz who always wrote about wrestling and kept wrestling in the spotlight. Paul, your articles kept us in touch with what was going on with the wrestling community and the wrestlers themselves. Your articles allowed us into the their lives. Your dedication and constant keeping wrestling in the front kept our sport meaningful.

 

 

Thank your for what you did and thank you for all that will be inducted what you did to help wrestling grow.

Edited August 11, 2016 by hoosierdad

[downforthecount]

B. B. thanks for posting. If you have any questions about the banquet or tickets feel free to email me directly at bowler94@comcast.net.

[TD2]

Who is Ethan Reeves?  What did he do for Tennessee HS wrestling?

[russianbear]

Who is Ethan Reeves? What did he do for Tennessee HS wrestling?

Ethan Reeve was originally from Lancaster OH and wrestled for UT Knoxville. He was a 2 time AA (would have been 3 time if they placed more than 6 back in the day). He was the Head Wrestling Coach for UTC from 1984-1991 (I may be off a year). I don't think there's been another individual that produced a love for the sport within the people he coached anytime/anywhere. The number of people whom he was associated with that now give back to the sport is staggering. He produced more coaches, referees, and people that volunteer their time for the sport than any other person in the history of Tennessee Wrestling. Anyone who knows him knows that's a fact.

[TD2]

You've got to be kidding me.  Ethan Reeve took over a team from coach Morgan that took 14th in the country.  A record that still stands for UTC!!!!.  He single handed destroyed everything Jim Morgan built.  He took a team from 14th in the country..... to getting beat my Carson Newman (NAIA) in 8  months.  There is no way that UTC should NOT have been in the top 10 with what they had coming back, one year after Coach Morgan left. They graduated on wrestler, Charlie Heard.  If Morgan would have still been coaching:  Feldhacker 150# places top 5,  Ben Reichkle 118# scores points, Ricky Talley 142# places top 5 (was ranked 5th), Bean 134# scores points,  Einson 126# scores points.  Rufolo 180 ??? scores points.  they were solid in those weights.  Others may have won the southern conference and qualified.

[russianbear]

You've got to be kidding me. Ethan Reeve took over a team from coach Morgan that took 14th in the country. A record that still stands for UTC!!!!. He single handed destroyed everything Jim Morgan built. He took a team from 14th in the country..... to getting beat my Carson Newman (NAIA) in 8 months. There is no way that UTC should NOT have been in the top 10 with what they had coming back, one year after Coach Morgan left. They graduated on wrestler, Charlie Heard. If Morgan would have still been coaching: Feldhacker 150# places top 5, Ben Reichkle 118# scores points, Ricky Talley 142# places top 5 (was ranked 5th), Bean 134# scores points, Einson 126# scores points. Rufolo 180 ??? scores points. they were solid in those weights. Others may have won the southern conference and qualified.

[russianbear]

I was recruited by and signed with Jim Morgan. After I signed Jim Morgan resigned. There was a reason for that, though I wasn't there, I heard things. Jim Morgan was a fantastic coach and did a tremendous job both at UTC and Baylor School and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Though he technically 'resigned' the search for a new coach was on a bit before that.

 

I never got the opportunity to wrestle for Coach Morgan, but from what I was told the contrast in coaching styles couldn't have been any more extreme. Coach Morgan (from what I was told) had voluntary practice by the end of his tenure at UTC. He wasn't exactly a disciplinarian. This created some issues. I believe Jim Morgan is in the Hall of Fame.

 

Coach Reeve was a disciplinarian. It was his way or the highway. At the beginning of the year we had 47 guys in the room. At the end of the year there were 17. Most of that due to guys being used to doing whatever they wanted.

 

Not saying either coaching approach is right or wrong, but different. As far as the east is from the west.

 

TD2, you probably don't know this, because I don't think you were there, but Ricky Talley didn't make weight for the first wrestle offs. Rickey and the elders on the team thought Coach Reeve should let him wrestle anyway. Coach Reeve disagreed. Ricky threw a pitty party and quit. This created dissension and division, but Coach Reeve did what was right. Though I didn't realize it at the time, I learned a valuable lesson that day. Most people that year quit. We were terrible that year. The next year Coach Reeve recruited people that wanted to work. People that would run through a brick wall for him. People that (for the most part) stayed academically eligible. UTC never lost the Southern Conference again during his tenure. In fact, in 1988 I believe we qualified 9 for the NCAA tournament and this when there was only 1 or 2 wildcards.

 

My final year as a head coach at Red Bank high school I had some discipline issues. The 2 best guys on the team were returning multiple state placers, both ranked second heading into their final year. They went a step too far and I dismissed them from the team. They begged to get back on but they were out of chances. I didn't budge. That year we were terrible. Not one kid qualified for the state tournament as we started 9 freshman. The next year Shane Turner became the head coach and I stayed on as the assistant. Last year those freshmen were seniors. Red Bank went on to win their first ever Dual State Championship.

 

Coach Reeve recently got inducted into the Hall of Fame. And he got a standing ovation from almost everyone in the room (including from me) when he was introduced.

 

PS TD2, I (Ben Reichel) appreciate you assuming I would've scored points in the NCAA Tournament my freshman year under Coach Morgan, but the fact is I was a bit too small my freshman year.

Edited August 22, 2016 by russianbear

[cbg]

Ethan Reeve was both a fantastic coach & wrestler.  If the University of Tennessee had funded their program the way most any Big10 program was funded at that time Ethan would have been a full time assistance coach along with Steve Gaydosh for the Vols under Gray Simons.  I fully believe that a combination of Gray Simons technical skills, the recruiting efforts of Steve Gaydosh combined with the intensity and discipline of Ethan Reeve would and pushed the University of Tennessee program from being just a top 10 team to knocking on the door of a national championship.  Ethan Reeve was not just a good coach but a great coach.  If UTC had paid the man an honest wage he would probably still be their head wrestling coach and would not have left to become an assistant coach at McCallie.  With that being said things happen for a reason and Ethan Reeve has now been the head strength & conditioning coach at a major university for a long time so things worked out very well for him. 

[russianbear]

Great point CBG. Ethan came to UTC in 1984 making $14,000 a year. That's not a misprint. He had 4 full scholarships available. That's not a misprint. Bud Hennebaul was the assistant coach at the time and I'm sure his salary was less than Ethans. No graduate assistants, no other paid staff. Ethan even served as the van driver. I'd hate to see what the budget was at the time.

[pantheon]

You've got to be kidding me.  Ethan Reeve took over a team from coach Morgan that took 14th in the country.  A record that still stands for UTC!!!!.  He single handed destroyed everything Jim Morgan built.  He took a team from 14th in the country..... to getting beat my Carson Newman (NAIA) in 8  months.  There is no way that UTC should NOT have been in the top 10 with what they had coming back, one year after Coach Morgan left. They graduated on wrestler, Charlie Heard.  If Morgan would have still been coaching:  Feldhacker 150# places top 5,  Ben Reichkle 118# scores points, Ricky Talley 142# places top 5 (was ranked 5th), Bean 134# scores points,  Einson 126# scores points.  Rufolo 180 ??? scores points.  they were solid in those weights.  Others may have won the southern conference and qualified.

 

TD2, in no way am I trying to attack you here, but there is absolutely nothing true about your post. Well, except for Coach Reeve taking over a team that finished 14th in the country the year before. That was pretty much the work of UTC's only All-American in '83, Charlie Heard - 2nd place @ 118. And, 1983 was his last year of eligibility.

 

That first year was tough. And, it was especially rough on those who wrestled for Coach Morgan. That's all I say about that.

 

Speaking for myself, wrestling for Coach Reeve changed my life dramatically in every way. I started wrestling in 11th grade, in Georgia. Placed 3rd in state my senior year. I went to a year of junior college before my love for wrestling brought me to UTC as a walk-on in 1984. So, those are my credentials on the front end. Started wrestling in 11th grade in Georgia during the 1980s.

 

At UTC, from day one meeting Coach Reeve, I began a college career that ended with me a 2x conference champion, 2x Div1 national qualifier, ranked top 25 going into my senior year in one publication, and a college degree. I saw this kind of change happen with most everyone who wrestled for him.

 

If he had had more resources, sure, no telling what his teams would have accomplished at the national level. There are few more deserving to be in the TN Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame than Ethan Reeve. The man is special.

 

-TH (russianbear's drill partner)

Edited August 23, 2016 by pantheon

[StarRaider]

Ethan also somehow managed to marry the best looking girl from my old high school. HOF just for that.