Strickland to be enshrined in National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Jun. 19—One of his former wrestlers put in the leg work to have Coach John Strickland enshrined in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Strickland received word last week he will be one of six inductees.
Each state in America has a chapter and Strickland will receive the honor for Oklahoma after his service to high school wrestling as a coach and referee during his tenure at several schools.
A part of the first Duncan Wrestling team, Strickland was a 1965 graduate of the school and served as a coach and athletic director in several area schools.
Strickland was one of the many who were inducted into the Duncan Athletic Hall of Fame back in 2018 when he joined 11 other former Duncan athletes, coaches and other members of the community for that class.
As they celebrated during the annual Duncan Wrestling Golf Tournament fundraiser, Strickland was seen talking to some of his former wrestlers and other kids he coached throughout the years at Duncan.
Upon hearing the news of his Hall of Fame honor, Strickland said he is privileged to have the students he had during his career.
"Darrell Martin told me he was going to nominate me several years ago. I kind of forgot about it after a while but the way Darrell ended up getting all the stuff like my records and etc. through the years ... I did wrestling officiating also and got it together," Strickland said. "It was such an honor to win something like that, especially when you feel like you didn't have to work at it — what I mean by that is every minute I was glad to be there."
Strickland said during his tenure, he coached several state runners-up, and said it was a dream to achieve a State Championship. He knew his wrestlers were the credit for winning titles along with winning football and golf state titles.
"I've been blessed. Someone said that you were a really good coach and no, you've got to have really good kids that are willing to work hard to be a good coach," Strickland said. "But you also have to have good parents that will back you. In Ada, Duncan and Bray-Doyle I had all of that — everywhere I have been I have had good parents, good kids and good men and women to coach. I feel like this is kind of the end of the road and I hate to say that because that is a great award for your lifetime, but I hope that I will still be able to help young people be better people."
The ceremony will come sometime in October, according to Strickland, who said the official letter will come in the mail to give the formal details of the ceremony that will honor the coach.
Strickland said this is a dream come true to be honored and believes the support system he had, including his wife, makes it a big honor.
"It is a dream come true. Every coach who goes into something would love to be in any kind of Hall of Fame," Strickland said. "I told the guy that my wife needs to be in it too because of all she did for wrestling as my wife — calling the cheerleaders and then keeping the score on the bench and at home. She would set up the table. She is a big part of all of this too. She even coached a time or two, when we had two coaches and needed three and she never lost. I should have let her take all of them because she never lost."
