Craig Grace had an outstanding wrestling coaching role model, his older cousin and future Hall of Fame member Dan Dunham of Iowa.

Coach Grace pioneered a boys wrestling program at Lanier High School (Navarro High School) in Austin, Texas in 1975 and a girls program in 1999.

His coaching career spanned 33 years at Lanier and produced several district and regional team championships, four individual state champions and 36 state place-winners. His boys teams had a dual meet record of 194-65 while his girls teams were 77-28.

One of his wrestlers, Tabithia Ramsey, competed in college and wrestled for the United States in 2004 at the Pan Am and World championships.

In his retirement Coach Grace helps coordinate tournaments for the Austin Independent School District and trains Labrador retrievers.