August 21, 2024 • 26 mins
The tribute speeches and induction ceremony for 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Distinguished Member Coleman Scott.
Tribute speakers: John Yates and Neil Erisman. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.
Recorded June 2024.
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Tribute speakers: John Yates and Neil Erisman. Tribune emcee: Dave Martin. Induction ceremony emcee: Sandy Stevens.
Recorded June 2024.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE SHOW
Apple Podcasts | Spreaker | iHeartRadio | Spotify | Android | RSS
Contribute
And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
From the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. This is Legends
is Legends. I'm Jason Bryant. Prepare for a journey through
wrestling's past, present, and future. As we'll hear are the
great stories of wrestling and success from the true legends
of the sport here on Hall of Fame Legends.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
So, without any more ado, let's go ahead and get started.
I might say that we hope everyone enjoyed the meal,
and now it's time for the program to begin. This
is another opportunity for us to learn more about this
special group of individuals who we are honoring this weekend.
We're going to hear from those who know them the best,
and that's their family and their friends.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Each of the speakers will be.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Allowed to talk for five minutes. Unfortunately, there will be
no injury timeouts and we don't have any time for overtimes.
Our next distinguished member is Coleman Scott. Here to speak
about Coleman will be John Yates, his high school coach.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Well, first of all, I have to say I'm honored
to be given this opportunity to speak on behalf of
one of my former athletes, Coleman Scott. It's humbling to
be on this stage, the men and women on this screen,
the men and women in the seats, The accomplishments.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Could could fill a book about wrestling.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
In fact, when I told one of my co workers
I was going to be speaking here, he said, that's great.
When you get back, let me know how it is
to be one of the worst wrestlers in the room.
I offer my sincere congratulations to the other great honorees,
and I want to thank Coleman and his family for
allowing me to continue to be a part of his
(02:03):
wrestling journey. I last coached Coleman when he was in
high school. Yet I've been invited to four NCAAA tournaments,
two Olympic Trials, the twenty twelve Olympic Games, and at
all these events, Coleman represented himself. His team is country
with the greatest degree of excellence. However, every champion has
(02:26):
setbacks on their way to the top, and I'm reminded
of a time when Coleman a young freshman. We were
wrestling at the Iron Man Tournament at Walsh Jesuit, and
Coleman was paired up against a senior who was already
committed to a large Division I college and at the
end of two periods. It was not going well for Coleman,
(02:48):
but it was his choice. He looked to the side,
I said, neutral bottom top, I said, Coleman, that's all
there is. I'll cycle back through them if you want.
We also went to the Beast of the East tournament.
We used to do the trifecta. I don't recommend it.
(03:10):
We would do Ironman, Beast and Power aid that's a
tough couple of weeks. But the Beast of the East
I kind of saw a little bit of Coleman's prankster side.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Say.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
I had a thing I would do to kind of
lighten the mood with my athletes when we would travel.
I would sneak into their bags and maybe remove one
wrestling shoe, and then I'd say, okay, guys, after weighing's
time to get dressed. We got to warm up, and
I'd sit back and watch the guy look in the bag,
look around, look in the bag, look around. Well I
never did that to Coleman, but when we got to
(03:42):
the Beast of the East it was a three day trip.
I got back to the hotel and somehow I had
failed to pack socks and underwear for a three day trip,
called my wife, Hey, did I really not pack socks
and underwear? Well, words started getting around, Hey, coach, you
might want to go check Coleman in his roommate. They
might have had something to do with it. So I
(04:03):
go to their hotel room and there they are in
bed with pizza boxes on their chest, eating, and I said,
where's my socks at underwear?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
They said nothing.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
So I grabbed the bottom of this double bed and
picked it up off the floor and started shaking it,
and they said, they're in the ceiling.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
They're in the ceiling.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Sure enough, they had stood on the bed, removed the
ceiling tile and put my socks in underwear in there.
Now I was kind of mad, but I got over
it when Coleman won the Beast of the East the
next day, and the way he won it was kind
of a signature trademark move that he kind of invented,
one of those moves you can't teach in the wrestling room.
(04:42):
He's down two to one third period on bottom, struggling
to get out, Coleman goes short sit, starts turning his
feet like a jack rabbit, reaches for the head hip.
HEISCE two and two wins the Beast of the East.
About three months later, he's in the state finals, third period,
trailing on bottom and maybe ten seconds fifteen I can't recall,
(05:07):
but Coleman goes short set and he was facing our
corner and he goes short set and he kind of
made eye contact with me, and I said to my assistant,
we got this. Coleman goes pressure back, feet churning like
a jack rabbit, grab the head hip pace.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Two and two wins the state title.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
So every coach hopes to have an athlete like Coleman.
Every coach knows that watching your wrestler continue to achieve
and succeed at every level is more rewarding than any
trophy we bring back and put in a trophy case.
This is why we continue to coach the sport that
(05:48):
we love.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
So do you Coleman.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Congratulations on being so recognized for your accomplishments that your
name and face are forever to be enshrined in the
greatest hall of fame that our sport has. You truly
deserve to be among the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Thank you, Coach Yates. Next we'll hear from former teammate
and longtime friend Neil Irschmann.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Thank you. First.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
I'd like to start to say that I want to
throw the brick at Leroy for giving me only five
minutes as a coach and talk about my greatest friend.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
That's not cool.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
We can change that in the future maybe, But I
want to start off by saying thank you. Thank you
to Coleman for giving me this great honor to be here,
to be a part of this, to get to speak
on your behalf. Thank you to Coleman and Jess for
being a part of our family and allowing us to
(07:02):
be a part of your family. It's been a big privilege,
not just to call you friends but family. An Ecclesiasts
Ecclesiastes three one through eight, it talks about there's a
time and a season and a purpose under heaven. I
won't read the whole scripture, but I will get back
to it. Coleman and I have been through a lot
(07:23):
of seasons and a lot of times in life, thick
and thin, sometimes extra thin when he was making fifty
seven kilos. But there's not much that we really haven't
been through, you know, whether it be friends, teammates, coaches, colleagues, family,
that we've really experienced a lot together. And today I'm
(07:44):
not going to tell a bunch of stories. I will
tell a few, but I really want to talk about
the traits that, you know, really make up Coleman, who
he is as a person, and the things that I
know about him. First, the word believe comes to mind
when I think about Coleman's belief in himself. I think
of a funny story that I heard Jamie tell one time.
(08:08):
He said, you know, Coach is coming to the house.
You are absolutely not committing. And you know, Coleman always
believed in himself, and the first thing he did was
commit before Coach left the house. So he's believed in
himself since day one. I remember watching him wrestle at Fargo,
and you know, watching him on the stage, and I
was like, this, dude just believes he's gonna win, you know.
(08:29):
And that was before I knew it was going to
be teammates with him. To come in and to start
as a true freshman and be an All American takes
a lot of belief.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
To continue to go on.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
To lose in the national finals and come back and
be a national champion takes a lot of belief. His
belief was more than just in himself. He took a
guy that fell a little bit short in his dreams
and his goals and believed in him and brought him
along and helped me get to where I am today.
(09:04):
Next would be discipline. I got to live out Coleman's
career with him on a day to day basis and
watching the discipline that it took. You know, college is
one thing, but when you graduate and you're going to
trying to make a world team, you're a dad. It
becomes a very very hard thing to do to wake
(09:26):
up every single day and do the mundane and do
the things.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
That are very very difficult. He would drop his daughter
off at our house.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
He would go, well, we would go and he would train,
and I would watch him do the same thing over
and over every single day until he made that Olympic
team and got his medal. Watching that made me realize
how locked in and tuned in he was with himself
(09:54):
and the things that he had to do around him
on a daily basis. He had to say no to
a lot to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Number three would be leadership.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
In two thousand and six, I entered Oklahoma State as
a freshman I was from a small town in Kansas,
and I was in the number one recruiting class in
the country, and there were fourteen student athletes in my class,
and I remember Coleman and a couple of the other
older guys pulled me aside and they said, you're different.
These guys aren't going to make it. Separate yourself, get
(10:27):
away from them. And that was my first seeing him
be a leader in any sorts. Well turns out I
was the only one of fourteen to actually make it
out of that class, and so he has a great eye,
you know, for how to help people and how to
guide people. Fast forward about you know, a year later,
in two thousand and seven, I was wrestling my first bedroom.
(10:49):
I don't even know if he remembers this. I lose,
which you don't lose in bedlam, let alone any match,
and I dropped my head at the end of the match,
and I remember I walked off and I'm not going
to repeat everything he said to me. He's my teammate
at the time, not my coach, by the way, and
he said something was explicit, explicit, explicit. Don't you ever
(11:10):
do that again. That's not who we are, that's not
what we do. And so since the day I walked
into Oklahoma State, whether he.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Knew it or not, he was leading me. He went
on to.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
Lead a fantastic program to take it back to national
glory and to bring it back to what it is today.
And so leadership has been in his in him for
a long time. The next would be perseverance. And I
think the ultimate perseverance story for Coleman is making the
Olympic team.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
So it's not an easy process.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Most people don't understand everything that he had to go
through to make this happen. He had to win the open,
the weight had to be qualified by others, have a
wrestle off in New York City, and there's a lot
of nuance here. But there were a lot of things
(12:06):
going on in the background that he could have let
affect him that he didn't, and he persevered and he
stayed strong. Lastly, his family. Coleman's all about family. He's
a great father, he's a great husband, and he's a
great friend. And a lot of people talk about the
different times in the seasons and Ecclesiastes three to one
(12:28):
through eight, but they forget nine through eleven. What profit
a man has the worker from that in which he labors.
I have seen the God given task with which the
sons of men are to be occupied. He has been.
He has made everything beautiful in his time. Also he
has put eternity in their hearts. Except that no one
(12:51):
can find out the work of the work that God
does from beginning to end. Coleman is still young. He
deserves this honor in every way, and he's earned it.
But with the great traits you have, the hard work
that you know how to do in a christ centered focus.
This is just the beginning, and there's absolutely nothing that
(13:12):
he cannot do.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Coleman.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
I'm proud to call you my friend, my family, and
thank you for having me here today.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Good evening, everyone, Welcome, Welcome to the twenty twenty four
Hall of Fame Induction of honorees. We're delighted to have
you here with us this weekend and this evening. I'm
happy now to bring to the podium the Chairman of
(13:52):
the Board of the Governors of the National Wrestling Hall
of Fame, Tom Slowey.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
Good evening, actually great evening on behalf of the Nashal
Wrestling Hall of Fame. Welcome to the forty seventh Honors
Induction ceremony. This evening's turnout is certainly a testimony through
the exceptional individuals we honor this evening, but also to
(14:20):
the fantastic and loyal support of our wrestling community. So
thank you for being here. The National Wrestling Hall of
Fame is grateful you're with us to celebrate the class
of twenty twenty four inductees. This is a very special
time as we recognize and enshrine our sports very best
(14:41):
and honor their extraordinary achievements. The class of twenty twenty
four inductees our inspiration to us.
Speaker 8 (14:48):
All.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
Their life pass and accomplishments offer positive guidance and examples
to us all, and especially to our country's youth and
future leaders. The National Wrestling Hall of Famers privileged to
host and celebrate Honors weekend with them. As we all know,
wrestling teaches invaluable lessons. It also instills positive traits that
(15:13):
serve us well over a lifetime. Determination, commitment, perseverance, persistence,
and resilience, to name just a few. And so as
we move forward in life, we are well prepared to
manage the challenges and opportunities that we will encounter with
purpose and excellence and as leaders as an example for
(15:37):
others to follow.
Speaker 8 (15:40):
On.
Speaker 7 (15:40):
Behalf of the Sponsors Volunteers, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Staff,
Board of Governors Governors' Associates. Thank you for sharing this
evening with us as we proudly celebrate the class of
twenty twenty four. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Our next honoree for a distinguished member, Coleman Scott.
Speaker 9 (16:10):
The coach was always about give back to what's given
you everything, and that's the sport and that's this community,
you know.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
So it's the least I can do it.
Speaker 10 (16:18):
The school is a level at one rule. We drugs him.
I he's up into the brand of position that looks
like a brand of position. It's reply is it's two pints.
It's a three one lead. Now Haun is up and
paulman stout in the last thirty seconds at period three
has won a bronze medal for the.
Speaker 11 (16:36):
USI couple people with big influences, you know. Of course,
my grandfather was probably.
Speaker 9 (16:41):
The first one just to just to always be there
and encouraging didn't miss wrestling matches as a young kid.
Speaker 11 (16:52):
It meant a lot to him that.
Speaker 9 (16:55):
I love the sport as much as he did you
know at a young age.
Speaker 8 (16:58):
He's very determined, he's very passionate.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
He is.
Speaker 8 (17:05):
He's a giving person in real life and then and
in wrestling life. He'll give back to this team, the
sport one hundred, just like he does our family and
all of our friends.
Speaker 9 (17:14):
And that's what I want to pass on to the
next generation, you know, give back to this sport what
it gave me. And it gave me the opportunity to
wrestle at Oklahoma State under Coach Smith. It gave me
the opportunity to be my wife here in Stillwater, to
start my career as a wrestler, as a coach, and again,
I couldn't do anything without the sport.
Speaker 11 (17:33):
It gave me everything.
Speaker 12 (17:35):
He had a double leg, and when you have a
double leg, everybody's scared a little bit.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
You know.
Speaker 12 (17:42):
I never had a double leg as a wrestler, but
the guys that I wrestled at is I always gave
him a little bit more respect.
Speaker 11 (17:50):
I think the I don't know if I ever mastered skills.
Speaker 9 (17:53):
I think I became good at stuff and it evolved,
you know.
Speaker 11 (17:58):
I think that I came into school again with a.
Speaker 9 (18:01):
Very great base of of skills in mindset of ultra competitor,
you know, always willing to learn.
Speaker 11 (18:10):
I'm going to take criticism whether I like it or not.
Speaker 9 (18:13):
I might be mad at the front end, but I
know I'll have a thought later that evening about Okay,
they're right, I need to do this. I knew I
needed coach in my life because of the way he coached.
I knew I needed him to get me to the
next level.
Speaker 10 (18:33):
Looking for a cradle now, and he's got it.
Speaker 8 (18:36):
He's got a lot of traddle boy that he's shun
went on the downside.
Speaker 11 (18:40):
And he keeps him in.
Speaker 9 (18:42):
Oh my goodness, Oh my gosh, pauland's got where's it?
Speaker 3 (18:50):
In unbelievable fashion.
Speaker 12 (18:52):
He was obviously real successful here and then following his
four years as a student athlete here at Oklham State,
he went on and I went to the Olympics, and
I had a good staff here that really played a
big role in him making that team.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
What an exciting time.
Speaker 12 (19:13):
Two thousand and twelve when he made the Olympic team.
Unbelievable times square, middle of times square. I mean, who
gets to make the Olympic team in.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
The middle of times square?
Speaker 11 (19:25):
Wow?
Speaker 12 (19:25):
On a mat in New York City. Just incredible experience.
One of my favorite times as a coach.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
He took experience.
Speaker 8 (19:34):
Colin being inducted to the Hall of Indoor. Family is
kind of funny because our kids probably could care less,
But to me, it's an amazing accomplishment.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
It's the top.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Of like, what's the word I'm looking for, a pinnacle,
Pinnacle Awards, you know, like this is it's probably not
something he ever thought he would ever be in. And
after he finished, it was like, oh wow, I could
actually be in the Hall of Fame, as you know
what next to some of the greats came across, John Smith,
(20:09):
Kenny Monday, some of the mentors you had here at
o Clomba State.
Speaker 9 (20:15):
You know, winning an Olympic medal was it's an unbelievable accomplishment.
Speaker 11 (20:20):
Don't don't get me wrong, right, but.
Speaker 9 (20:22):
You don't ever think about winning anything other than a
gold medal, you know. And I didn't get there, you know,
And so there was a mixed emotion, you know, shortly
after when you're on the awards stated and you hear
somebody else's national anthem, you know, because again I didn't
have a thought process ever leading up to that moment
(20:42):
that I was going to lose. I didn't know, didn't
wasn't like, hey, what do you do if you do?
I never had that even question. Nobody around me had
that question.
Speaker 11 (20:52):
So I was a.
Speaker 9 (20:53):
Lost man there for a couple hours after I lost.
You got four to six minutes to either leave with
the medal and change your life and change people around you.
And you got ninety five people that flew over here
to support you.
Speaker 11 (21:06):
Do it for them.
Speaker 9 (21:07):
If you're not going to do it for yourself, you know,
do it for somebody bigger. Right, There's it's never for
me that metal, you know, And I I hate to
put it that way, but it was. It was a
hard match. It was hard to get refocused. And am
I very grateful you? Am I very Yes? Absolutely, I
would never change a thing about what I did. I
don't have any regrets in my training and that guy
beat me that day. Do I still believe I was
the best in the world that day? One hundred percent, right.
(21:28):
I'm always going to believe that. But it wasn't my day, right,
He got me in that moment. You know, I remember
coming back as well. You know, we landed in Oklahoma City,
He says, get your metal out. And I said, Coach, no,
I'm not. That's embarrassing, right, I'm not. It's it's abroad.
What do people want to see a bronze medal for?
Speaker 6 (21:43):
You know?
Speaker 9 (21:44):
And he sort of got it into my butt a
little bit and said, you never know what somebody is
going through in that day, and this may change their life. Right,
You never know what somebody might need as an inspiration
to change, and it might be that.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Metal right there.
Speaker 9 (21:58):
And as we're walking, I landed on Oklahoma City and
we're walking past just the lady working in the in
the convenience store in the airport, and she recognized Coach
and me, and he told me to get my medal
out again and show her and she started balling and
she said, you don't know what this means to me.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Right.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
So it's like, you know, I had that opportunity twenty
fourteen to go to Carolina and unbelievable opportunity. Thankful and grateful.
And then when Coach called, you know, I was again
it was eight years as a head coach, and I
felt doing some special things there. And when he called, though,
it's again Coach Smith got me.
Speaker 12 (22:32):
You know, it's a great sense of pride, and he's
well deserving of it.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
You know, I may have a little part in that.
Speaker 12 (22:40):
I might have had a big part in it.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I don't know, but I know that.
Speaker 12 (22:47):
We take a lot of pride here at Oklahoma State
with these guys that have the that have done enough
to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. You know,
there's a lot of people out there that deserves to
go in that they're not.
Speaker 11 (23:00):
And Yeah, when you have a.
Speaker 9 (23:00):
Great group of people that have the same goals and
they chase him together, there's nothing better in this world.
Speaker 6 (23:16):
Let's bring out Coleman Scott Distinguished Member and his presenter
Mike Sheets.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Perfect.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
Gonna keep it short and sweet tonight. Just first off,
would like to thank the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
for being inducted as a Distinguished Member, as well as
congratulate all the other honorees this evening. As everyone in
this room knows, wrestling and life is filled with adversity
and uncertainties. I wouldn't have been able to get through
all those times if it wasn't for the people closest
(24:04):
to me. When I think of how I got here,
it's the selflessness of others. My parents, family, friends, coaches,
and most importantly, my wife and kids. I wouldn't have
been able to accomplish everything I have without them, So
thank you. For thirty two years, I've chased a dream,
(24:26):
I set a goal, and I've done everything in my
power to achieve it, sometimes coming up short, sometimes failing,
sometimes succeeding. I'm not sure where this sport has led
me through this whole time, and as I progressed through this,
(24:50):
I know there's one thing I'll forever be thankful for
is what this sport has shaped me and who I
am personally and who it's made me again. Thank you
everyone who has poured their time their effort into my
dreams and my goals. Thank you everyone who is able
to make it here this evening, celebrate with myself as
(25:12):
well as all of the other inductees.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Thank You.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Legends is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of
Fame and produced by the matt Talk podcast network.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
If you want to hear more from.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Wrestling's legends, contribute to the project today by going to
matttalkonline dot com slash contribute. We hope you've enjoyed this
look into wrestling history. This has been Legends. I'm Jason
Bryant Putt
From the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. This is Legends
is Legends. I'm Jason Bryant. Prepare for a journey through
wrestling's past, present, and future. As we'll hear are the
great stories of wrestling and success from the true legends
of the sport here on Hall of Fame Legends.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
So, without any more ado, let's go ahead and get started.
I might say that we hope everyone enjoyed the meal,
and now it's time for the program to begin. This
is another opportunity for us to learn more about this
special group of individuals who we are honoring this weekend.
We're going to hear from those who know them the best,
and that's their family and their friends.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Each of the speakers will be.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Allowed to talk for five minutes. Unfortunately, there will be
no injury timeouts and we don't have any time for overtimes.
Our next distinguished member is Coleman Scott. Here to speak
about Coleman will be John Yates, his high school coach.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Well, first of all, I have to say I'm honored
to be given this opportunity to speak on behalf of
one of my former athletes, Coleman Scott. It's humbling to
be on this stage, the men and women on this screen,
the men and women in the seats, The accomplishments.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Could could fill a book about wrestling.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
In fact, when I told one of my co workers
I was going to be speaking here, he said, that's great.
When you get back, let me know how it is
to be one of the worst wrestlers in the room.
I offer my sincere congratulations to the other great honorees,
and I want to thank Coleman and his family for
allowing me to continue to be a part of his
(02:03):
wrestling journey. I last coached Coleman when he was in
high school. Yet I've been invited to four NCAAA tournaments,
two Olympic Trials, the twenty twelve Olympic Games, and at
all these events, Coleman represented himself. His team is country
with the greatest degree of excellence. However, every champion has
(02:26):
setbacks on their way to the top, and I'm reminded
of a time when Coleman a young freshman. We were
wrestling at the Iron Man Tournament at Walsh Jesuit, and
Coleman was paired up against a senior who was already
committed to a large Division I college and at the
end of two periods. It was not going well for Coleman,
(02:48):
but it was his choice. He looked to the side,
I said, neutral bottom top, I said, Coleman, that's all
there is. I'll cycle back through them if you want.
We also went to the Beast of the East tournament.
We used to do the trifecta. I don't recommend it.
(03:10):
We would do Ironman, Beast and Power aid that's a
tough couple of weeks. But the Beast of the East
I kind of saw a little bit of Coleman's prankster side.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
Say.
Speaker 4 (03:22):
I had a thing I would do to kind of
lighten the mood with my athletes when we would travel.
I would sneak into their bags and maybe remove one
wrestling shoe, and then I'd say, okay, guys, after weighing's
time to get dressed. We got to warm up, and
I'd sit back and watch the guy look in the bag,
look around, look in the bag, look around. Well I
never did that to Coleman, but when we got to
(03:42):
the Beast of the East it was a three day trip.
I got back to the hotel and somehow I had
failed to pack socks and underwear for a three day trip,
called my wife, Hey, did I really not pack socks
and underwear? Well, words started getting around, Hey, coach, you
might want to go check Coleman in his roommate. They
might have had something to do with it. So I
(04:03):
go to their hotel room and there they are in
bed with pizza boxes on their chest, eating, and I said,
where's my socks at underwear?
Speaker 3 (04:11):
They said nothing.
Speaker 4 (04:13):
So I grabbed the bottom of this double bed and
picked it up off the floor and started shaking it,
and they said, they're in the ceiling.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
They're in the ceiling.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
Sure enough, they had stood on the bed, removed the
ceiling tile and put my socks in underwear in there.
Now I was kind of mad, but I got over
it when Coleman won the Beast of the East the
next day, and the way he won it was kind
of a signature trademark move that he kind of invented,
one of those moves you can't teach in the wrestling room.
(04:42):
He's down two to one third period on bottom, struggling
to get out, Coleman goes short sit, starts turning his
feet like a jack rabbit, reaches for the head hip.
HEISCE two and two wins the Beast of the East.
About three months later, he's in the state finals, third period,
trailing on bottom and maybe ten seconds fifteen I can't recall,
(05:07):
but Coleman goes short set and he was facing our
corner and he goes short set and he kind of
made eye contact with me, and I said to my assistant,
we got this. Coleman goes pressure back, feet churning like
a jack rabbit, grab the head hip pace.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
Two and two wins the state title.
Speaker 4 (05:28):
So every coach hopes to have an athlete like Coleman.
Every coach knows that watching your wrestler continue to achieve
and succeed at every level is more rewarding than any
trophy we bring back and put in a trophy case.
This is why we continue to coach the sport that
(05:48):
we love.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
So do you Coleman.
Speaker 4 (05:51):
Congratulations on being so recognized for your accomplishments that your
name and face are forever to be enshrined in the
greatest hall of fame that our sport has. You truly
deserve to be among the greatest wrestlers of all time.
Speaker 2 (06:17):
Thank you, Coach Yates. Next we'll hear from former teammate
and longtime friend Neil Irschmann.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Thank you. First.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
I'd like to start to say that I want to
throw the brick at Leroy for giving me only five
minutes as a coach and talk about my greatest friend.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
That's not cool.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
We can change that in the future maybe, But I
want to start off by saying thank you. Thank you
to Coleman for giving me this great honor to be here,
to be a part of this, to get to speak
on your behalf. Thank you to Coleman and Jess for
being a part of our family and allowing us to
(07:02):
be a part of your family. It's been a big privilege,
not just to call you friends but family. An Ecclesiasts
Ecclesiastes three one through eight, it talks about there's a
time and a season and a purpose under heaven. I
won't read the whole scripture, but I will get back
to it. Coleman and I have been through a lot
(07:23):
of seasons and a lot of times in life, thick
and thin, sometimes extra thin when he was making fifty
seven kilos. But there's not much that we really haven't
been through, you know, whether it be friends, teammates, coaches, colleagues, family,
that we've really experienced a lot together. And today I'm
(07:44):
not going to tell a bunch of stories. I will
tell a few, but I really want to talk about
the traits that, you know, really make up Coleman, who
he is as a person, and the things that I
know about him. First, the word believe comes to mind
when I think about Coleman's belief in himself. I think
of a funny story that I heard Jamie tell one time.
(08:08):
He said, you know, Coach is coming to the house.
You are absolutely not committing. And you know, Coleman always
believed in himself, and the first thing he did was
commit before Coach left the house. So he's believed in
himself since day one. I remember watching him wrestle at Fargo,
and you know, watching him on the stage, and I
was like, this, dude just believes he's gonna win, you know.
(08:29):
And that was before I knew it was going to
be teammates with him. To come in and to start
as a true freshman and be an All American takes
a lot of belief.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
To continue to go on.
Speaker 5 (08:41):
To lose in the national finals and come back and
be a national champion takes a lot of belief. His
belief was more than just in himself. He took a
guy that fell a little bit short in his dreams
and his goals and believed in him and brought him
along and helped me get to where I am today.
(09:04):
Next would be discipline. I got to live out Coleman's
career with him on a day to day basis and
watching the discipline that it took. You know, college is
one thing, but when you graduate and you're going to
trying to make a world team, you're a dad. It
becomes a very very hard thing to do to wake
(09:26):
up every single day and do the mundane and do
the things.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
That are very very difficult. He would drop his daughter
off at our house.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
He would go, well, we would go and he would train,
and I would watch him do the same thing over
and over every single day until he made that Olympic
team and got his medal. Watching that made me realize
how locked in and tuned in he was with himself
(09:54):
and the things that he had to do around him
on a daily basis. He had to say no to
a lot to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Number three would be leadership.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
In two thousand and six, I entered Oklahoma State as
a freshman I was from a small town in Kansas,
and I was in the number one recruiting class in
the country, and there were fourteen student athletes in my class,
and I remember Coleman and a couple of the other
older guys pulled me aside and they said, you're different.
These guys aren't going to make it. Separate yourself, get
(10:27):
away from them. And that was my first seeing him
be a leader in any sorts. Well turns out I
was the only one of fourteen to actually make it
out of that class, and so he has a great eye,
you know, for how to help people and how to
guide people. Fast forward about you know, a year later,
in two thousand and seven, I was wrestling my first bedroom.
(10:49):
I don't even know if he remembers this. I lose,
which you don't lose in bedlam, let alone any match,
and I dropped my head at the end of the match,
and I remember I walked off and I'm not going
to repeat everything he said to me. He's my teammate
at the time, not my coach, by the way, and
he said something was explicit, explicit, explicit. Don't you ever
(11:10):
do that again. That's not who we are, that's not
what we do. And so since the day I walked
into Oklahoma State, whether he.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Knew it or not, he was leading me. He went
on to.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
Lead a fantastic program to take it back to national
glory and to bring it back to what it is today.
And so leadership has been in his in him for
a long time. The next would be perseverance. And I
think the ultimate perseverance story for Coleman is making the
Olympic team.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
So it's not an easy process.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Most people don't understand everything that he had to go
through to make this happen. He had to win the open,
the weight had to be qualified by others, have a
wrestle off in New York City, and there's a lot
of nuance here. But there were a lot of things
(12:06):
going on in the background that he could have let
affect him that he didn't, and he persevered and he
stayed strong. Lastly, his family. Coleman's all about family. He's
a great father, he's a great husband, and he's a
great friend. And a lot of people talk about the
different times in the seasons and Ecclesiastes three to one
(12:28):
through eight, but they forget nine through eleven. What profit
a man has the worker from that in which he labors.
I have seen the God given task with which the
sons of men are to be occupied. He has been.
He has made everything beautiful in his time. Also he
has put eternity in their hearts. Except that no one
(12:51):
can find out the work of the work that God
does from beginning to end. Coleman is still young. He
deserves this honor in every way, and he's earned it.
But with the great traits you have, the hard work
that you know how to do in a christ centered focus.
This is just the beginning, and there's absolutely nothing that
(13:12):
he cannot do.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Coleman.
Speaker 5 (13:14):
I'm proud to call you my friend, my family, and
thank you for having me here today.
Speaker 6 (13:29):
Good evening, everyone, Welcome, Welcome to the twenty twenty four
Hall of Fame Induction of honorees. We're delighted to have
you here with us this weekend and this evening. I'm
happy now to bring to the podium the Chairman of
(13:52):
the Board of the Governors of the National Wrestling Hall
of Fame, Tom Slowey.
Speaker 7 (13:58):
Good evening, actually great evening on behalf of the Nashal
Wrestling Hall of Fame. Welcome to the forty seventh Honors
Induction ceremony. This evening's turnout is certainly a testimony through
the exceptional individuals we honor this evening, but also to
(14:20):
the fantastic and loyal support of our wrestling community. So
thank you for being here. The National Wrestling Hall of
Fame is grateful you're with us to celebrate the class
of twenty twenty four inductees. This is a very special
time as we recognize and enshrine our sports very best
(14:41):
and honor their extraordinary achievements. The class of twenty twenty
four inductees our inspiration to us.
Speaker 8 (14:48):
All.
Speaker 7 (14:49):
Their life pass and accomplishments offer positive guidance and examples
to us all, and especially to our country's youth and
future leaders. The National Wrestling Hall of Famers privileged to
host and celebrate Honors weekend with them. As we all know,
wrestling teaches invaluable lessons. It also instills positive traits that
(15:13):
serve us well over a lifetime. Determination, commitment, perseverance, persistence,
and resilience, to name just a few. And so as
we move forward in life, we are well prepared to
manage the challenges and opportunities that we will encounter with
purpose and excellence and as leaders as an example for
(15:37):
others to follow.
Speaker 8 (15:40):
On.
Speaker 7 (15:40):
Behalf of the Sponsors Volunteers, National Wrestling Hall of Fame Staff,
Board of Governors Governors' Associates. Thank you for sharing this
evening with us as we proudly celebrate the class of
twenty twenty four. Thank you.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
Our next honoree for a distinguished member, Coleman Scott.
Speaker 9 (16:10):
The coach was always about give back to what's given
you everything, and that's the sport and that's this community,
you know.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
So it's the least I can do it.
Speaker 10 (16:18):
The school is a level at one rule. We drugs him.
I he's up into the brand of position that looks
like a brand of position. It's reply is it's two pints.
It's a three one lead. Now Haun is up and
paulman stout in the last thirty seconds at period three
has won a bronze medal for the.
Speaker 11 (16:36):
USI couple people with big influences, you know. Of course,
my grandfather was probably.
Speaker 9 (16:41):
The first one just to just to always be there
and encouraging didn't miss wrestling matches as a young kid.
Speaker 11 (16:52):
It meant a lot to him that.
Speaker 9 (16:55):
I love the sport as much as he did you
know at a young age.
Speaker 8 (16:58):
He's very determined, he's very passionate.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
He is.
Speaker 8 (17:05):
He's a giving person in real life and then and
in wrestling life. He'll give back to this team, the
sport one hundred, just like he does our family and
all of our friends.
Speaker 9 (17:14):
And that's what I want to pass on to the
next generation, you know, give back to this sport what
it gave me. And it gave me the opportunity to
wrestle at Oklahoma State under Coach Smith. It gave me
the opportunity to be my wife here in Stillwater, to
start my career as a wrestler, as a coach, and again,
I couldn't do anything without the sport.
Speaker 11 (17:33):
It gave me everything.
Speaker 12 (17:35):
He had a double leg, and when you have a
double leg, everybody's scared a little bit.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
You know.
Speaker 12 (17:42):
I never had a double leg as a wrestler, but
the guys that I wrestled at is I always gave
him a little bit more respect.
Speaker 11 (17:50):
I think the I don't know if I ever mastered skills.
Speaker 9 (17:53):
I think I became good at stuff and it evolved,
you know.
Speaker 11 (17:58):
I think that I came into school again with a.
Speaker 9 (18:01):
Very great base of of skills in mindset of ultra competitor,
you know, always willing to learn.
Speaker 11 (18:10):
I'm going to take criticism whether I like it or not.
Speaker 9 (18:13):
I might be mad at the front end, but I
know I'll have a thought later that evening about Okay,
they're right, I need to do this. I knew I
needed coach in my life because of the way he coached.
I knew I needed him to get me to the
next level.
Speaker 10 (18:33):
Looking for a cradle now, and he's got it.
Speaker 8 (18:36):
He's got a lot of traddle boy that he's shun
went on the downside.
Speaker 11 (18:40):
And he keeps him in.
Speaker 9 (18:42):
Oh my goodness, Oh my gosh, pauland's got where's it?
Speaker 3 (18:50):
In unbelievable fashion.
Speaker 12 (18:52):
He was obviously real successful here and then following his
four years as a student athlete here at Oklham State,
he went on and I went to the Olympics, and
I had a good staff here that really played a
big role in him making that team.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
What an exciting time.
Speaker 12 (19:13):
Two thousand and twelve when he made the Olympic team.
Unbelievable times square, middle of times square. I mean, who
gets to make the Olympic team in.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
The middle of times square?
Speaker 11 (19:25):
Wow?
Speaker 12 (19:25):
On a mat in New York City. Just incredible experience.
One of my favorite times as a coach.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
He took experience.
Speaker 8 (19:34):
Colin being inducted to the Hall of Indoor. Family is
kind of funny because our kids probably could care less,
But to me, it's an amazing accomplishment.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
It's the top.
Speaker 8 (19:49):
Of like, what's the word I'm looking for, a pinnacle,
Pinnacle Awards, you know, like this is it's probably not
something he ever thought he would ever be in. And
after he finished, it was like, oh wow, I could
actually be in the Hall of Fame, as you know
what next to some of the greats came across, John Smith,
(20:09):
Kenny Monday, some of the mentors you had here at
o Clomba State.
Speaker 9 (20:15):
You know, winning an Olympic medal was it's an unbelievable accomplishment.
Speaker 11 (20:20):
Don't don't get me wrong, right, but.
Speaker 9 (20:22):
You don't ever think about winning anything other than a
gold medal, you know. And I didn't get there, you know,
And so there was a mixed emotion, you know, shortly
after when you're on the awards stated and you hear
somebody else's national anthem, you know, because again I didn't
have a thought process ever leading up to that moment
(20:42):
that I was going to lose. I didn't know, didn't
wasn't like, hey, what do you do if you do?
I never had that even question. Nobody around me had
that question.
Speaker 11 (20:52):
So I was a.
Speaker 9 (20:53):
Lost man there for a couple hours after I lost.
You got four to six minutes to either leave with
the medal and change your life and change people around you.
And you got ninety five people that flew over here
to support you.
Speaker 11 (21:06):
Do it for them.
Speaker 9 (21:07):
If you're not going to do it for yourself, you know,
do it for somebody bigger. Right, There's it's never for
me that metal, you know, And I I hate to
put it that way, but it was. It was a
hard match. It was hard to get refocused. And am
I very grateful you? Am I very Yes? Absolutely, I
would never change a thing about what I did. I
don't have any regrets in my training and that guy
beat me that day. Do I still believe I was
the best in the world that day? One hundred percent, right.
(21:28):
I'm always going to believe that. But it wasn't my day, right,
He got me in that moment. You know, I remember
coming back as well. You know, we landed in Oklahoma City,
He says, get your metal out. And I said, Coach, no,
I'm not. That's embarrassing, right, I'm not. It's it's abroad.
What do people want to see a bronze medal for?
Speaker 6 (21:43):
You know?
Speaker 9 (21:44):
And he sort of got it into my butt a
little bit and said, you never know what somebody is
going through in that day, and this may change their life. Right,
You never know what somebody might need as an inspiration
to change, and it might be that.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
Metal right there.
Speaker 9 (21:58):
And as we're walking, I landed on Oklahoma City and
we're walking past just the lady working in the in
the convenience store in the airport, and she recognized Coach
and me, and he told me to get my medal
out again and show her and she started balling and
she said, you don't know what this means to me.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Right.
Speaker 9 (22:12):
So it's like, you know, I had that opportunity twenty
fourteen to go to Carolina and unbelievable opportunity. Thankful and grateful.
And then when Coach called, you know, I was again
it was eight years as a head coach, and I
felt doing some special things there. And when he called, though,
it's again Coach Smith got me.
Speaker 12 (22:32):
You know, it's a great sense of pride, and he's
well deserving of it.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
You know, I may have a little part in that.
Speaker 12 (22:40):
I might have had a big part in it.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
I don't know, but I know that.
Speaker 12 (22:47):
We take a lot of pride here at Oklahoma State
with these guys that have the that have done enough
to be inducted in the Hall of Fame. You know,
there's a lot of people out there that deserves to
go in that they're not.
Speaker 11 (23:00):
And Yeah, when you have a.
Speaker 9 (23:00):
Great group of people that have the same goals and
they chase him together, there's nothing better in this world.
Speaker 6 (23:16):
Let's bring out Coleman Scott Distinguished Member and his presenter
Mike Sheets.
Speaker 3 (23:42):
Perfect.
Speaker 9 (23:42):
Gonna keep it short and sweet tonight. Just first off,
would like to thank the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
for being inducted as a Distinguished Member, as well as
congratulate all the other honorees this evening. As everyone in
this room knows, wrestling and life is filled with adversity
and uncertainties. I wouldn't have been able to get through
all those times if it wasn't for the people closest
(24:04):
to me. When I think of how I got here,
it's the selflessness of others. My parents, family, friends, coaches,
and most importantly, my wife and kids. I wouldn't have
been able to accomplish everything I have without them, So
thank you. For thirty two years, I've chased a dream,
(24:26):
I set a goal, and I've done everything in my
power to achieve it, sometimes coming up short, sometimes failing,
sometimes succeeding. I'm not sure where this sport has led
me through this whole time, and as I progressed through this,
(24:50):
I know there's one thing I'll forever be thankful for
is what this sport has shaped me and who I
am personally and who it's made me again. Thank you
everyone who has poured their time their effort into my
dreams and my goals. Thank you everyone who is able
to make it here this evening, celebrate with myself as
(25:12):
well as all of the other inductees.
Speaker 3 (25:14):
Thank You.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Legends is a presentation of the National Wrestling Hall of
Fame and produced by the matt Talk podcast network.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
If you want to hear more from.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Wrestling's legends, contribute to the project today by going to
matttalkonline dot com slash contribute. We hope you've enjoyed this
look into wrestling history. This has been Legends. I'm Jason
Bryant Putt
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