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Awards
LeRoy Alitz
Distinguished Member
Class Of 1992 | | He probably has taught wrestling to more young people than any other man. In four decades as coach and physical instructor at the U. S. Military Academy, LeRoy Alitz educated more than 30,000 cadets in the skills and discipline of the sport. As Army officers, these ex-cadets continue to teach wrestling as physical training for combat troops.
During 23 seasons as varsity coach, 1955-77, Alitz won 146 dual meets and produced Army's only NCAA champion, Mike Natvig, 1962 and '63. Six years of high school coaching in his home state of Iowa push his victory total over 200.
Alitz led the United States to the World Military Games championship in Egypt in 1963, the nation's first international team trophy in wrestling. He also coached the World University team in the Moscow games of '73 and several All-Army teams which competed overseas.
He brought many notables to West Point as assistant coaches, including Hall of Famers Doug Blubaugh and Gray Simons, and helped shape their post-graduate international careers. One of his proteges, as a varsity wrestler and freshman coach, was H. Norman Schwarzkopf, later the commanding general of allied forces in the Gulf War.
Alitz helped develop Eastern wrestling programs and inaugurated the Little Easterns for freshmen, until yearlings were granted varsity eligibility. He had national impact as chairman of the NCAA rules committee for six years and a member of the governing council of USA Wrestling for a dozen seasons. He served as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association, and helped develop the Eastern and National Wrestling Officials Associations.
An All-America wrestler at Northern Iowa, he placed fourth in the 1948 Olympic trials.
As a leader who established foundations for the development of wrestling and a teacher of its values in life, LeRoy A. Alitz is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. |
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