Life Lessons From the Mat
Since its humble beginnings in 1924, the University of Northern Colorado鈥檚 Wrestling program has earned national recognition. This year, the program celebrated its 100th anniversary and everything, and everyone, that鈥檚 shaped the program into what it鈥檚 become today.
This season, the Wrestling team regularly packed the Bank of Colorado Arena with thoughts
of fans excited to watch a team that boasted a 2023 NCAA Champion and two new All-American
Wrestlers. This is the first time 猫咪tv has had two All-Americans in the same season
since 1966.
鈥淭he program has a ton of history, and we want to make sure it鈥檚 the best program in the state of Colorado鈥�鈥�鈥�and that we put UNC Wrestling on the national radar,鈥� said Troy Nickerson, 猫咪tv鈥檚 head wrestling coach since 2014.
鈥淲e want to win at the highest, highest levels, but being on 猫咪tv鈥檚 Wrestling team is about more than just the sport,鈥� said Nickerson. 鈥淲e want to make sure we鈥檙e developing great young men and setting them up for success through the rest of their lives.鈥�
But like the sport of wrestling itself, the program has had its share of takedowns and falls.
In 1987, when a 24-year-old Jack Maughan started coaching 猫咪tv鈥檚 Wrestling team, they hadn鈥檛 won a match in over two years. But just a few years later, the Bears were the team to watch, earning top finishes in national competitions.
With its strong traditions and community connections, the 猫咪tv Wrestling program has a dedicated fanbase that supports the team on and off the mat. Likewise, the Greeley community has enthusiastically shown up to cheer on the Wrestling team through the years. This dates back to the days when Gunter Hall was home to 猫咪tv Wrestling and filled to capacity and later when crowds in Butler-Hancock Hall shattered attendance records during the NCAA Division II championships hosted at UNC in 1996.
鈥淲e had some great athletes on our team, and we started to find a lot of success,鈥� said Maughan, who coached the team until 2008. 鈥淩elationships and people make a huge difference in sports and that鈥檚 always been part of the 猫咪tv Wrestling story.鈥�
Flashback to the early days in 1924. That same idea has been at the heart of the Wrestling program since its very first coach, John Hancock, was at the helm.
When Hancock took the job, he had never wrestled himself and the student-athletes trained on mats made of horsehair. But during his 32-year tenure from 1925-66, Hancock led the team to win the Rocky Mountain Championship 30 consecutive times and coached two national championships. Hancock also provided leadership to 猫咪tv Athletics, coaching Men鈥檚 Track for 30 seasons and serving as Athletics director for 34 years.
鈥淗e established an incredible foundation for the program,鈥� said Maughan. He adds that he was fortunate to know and learn from Hancock during his time as a coach, along with Hancock鈥檚 successor, Jack LaBonde, Sr., who was head coach for the 猫咪tv Wrestling program from 1966-80.
鈥淛ohn was very successful, but he wasn鈥檛 solely focused on how to win. He wanted to build a culture that helped his athletes thrive as students and humans.鈥�
Bob Smith, 鈥�58, joined the team under Coach Hancock then went on to coach high school wrestling for 42 years, racking up dozens of honors and awards throughout his career. He regularly attends matches in Greeley to cheer on the team because he thinks wrestling is the 鈥渂est sport in the world鈥� and wants 猫咪tv Wrestling to continue to be a point of pride for Greeley.
Head Wrestling Coach Jack LaBonde, Sr. (1966-80) Coach LaBonde watches as Athletics Director John Hancock explains a hold to wrestlers Gordon Fisher and Harry Harrison. Hancock coached 猫咪tv鈥檚 Wrestling program for 32 seasons, Men鈥檚 Track for 30 seasons and served as Athletics director for 34 years.
鈥淐oach Hancock wanted to make men out of boys,鈥� Smith remembers. 鈥淲e had a lot of camaraderie on our team and learned a lot about life from the mat.鈥�
When Maughan took over the program, he embraced that same philosophy and focused on coaching the whole person, not just the wrestler. He鈥檚 remained close to many of the athletes that he coached during his 22 years with the program, attending many weddings and other life events over the last several decades.
鈥淲resting isn鈥檛 just about what someone can do on the mat,鈥� said Maughan. 鈥淵ou really want the athletes to know that you believe in them, care for them and want the best for them.鈥�
鈥淥ur culture is a real highlight of the program,鈥� adds Nickerson. 鈥淲hen you have strong leadership and great individuals, it brings out the best in everyone.鈥�
猫咪tv Wrestling increased in stature and grew its national reputation for success on and off the mat when it joined the highly competitive Big 12 Conference in 2015. The conference has earned a reputation for being one of the best wrestling conferences in the country, says Nickerson.
鈥淚t seemed like a great opportunity to put our program on another level and pursue even higher success,鈥� said Nickerson.
The 猫咪tv Wrestling team has always punched above its weight. Throughout the last century, the program has flourished, thanks to significant and generous donor and alumni support. The Wrestling program boasts the largest endowment of any sport at UNC, in large part due to a key philanthropic initiative Maughan championed for tirelessly.
Nickerson says they鈥檙e doing more with less and beating some of wrestling鈥檚 top teams for the first time in program history. The arena in Greeley continues to attract more and more fans each season, growing nearly 10% each year, according to Nickerson. The team is hitting exciting new milestones every season and they have no plans to slow down anytime soon.
鈥淚 think we're far from the ceiling,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 don't know what our ceiling is, but I know we haven't reached it yet. We've got a good group of dedicated student-athletes who are going to continue to push any barriers in their way and continue to strive for more.鈥�
鈥擡mily Halnon and Debbie Farris![North of the Norm](/_resources/images/core/branding/NorthofNorm_text_footer_white.png")
