One of the finest college coaches in Northwestern Minnesota was Rodney Mosher. This longtime Crookston (MN) Community College Coach and Northwest School of Agriculture (now University of Minnesota-Crookston) left his mark on many young men and is a well known and respected figure in that part of the state.

Mosher coached for 21 years at two schools. He sent 21 wrestlers to Junior College Nationals, with six becoming All-Americans. He had one team win the Minnesota Community College Tournament title. Mosher spent 13 years at the Crookston Community College, eight years at Northwest School of Agriculture and compiled over 100 dual meet victories, with a win percentage of well over 60%, from 1960 to 1981. He was a 1979 Conference Coach of the Year and a Junior College Region Coach of the Year. His teams won conference titles in 1972, 1973 and 1974. They placed second in the state tournament in 1974, also placing 18th out of 110 colleges in the Junior College Athletic Association National Tournament.

Rod Mosher was not only a quality coach but he helped introduce and promote wrestling in upper northwestern Minnesota. He traveled to various schools, even hauling wrestling mats on his truck, to put on clinics and promote the sport.

Mosher is a man described by his son Brad as “compassionate, purposeful, driven by the path of giving as opposed to gaining, honor instead of ego, leadership through leading, disciplined, dedicated, devoted, determined and diverse, humorous, success in promoting the positive and heartily welcomed by all.”

Rod got his introduction to wrestling in 1950 as a freshman at the Northwest School of Agriculture in Crookston. From what Mosher learned he pursued coaching and found great satisfaction. He not only wanted his wrestlers to become champion athletes, but more importantly, men of integrity in all aspects of their lives.

Possibly Coach Mosher’s prize athlete was NFL All-Pro football player Jim LeClair. LeClair became a defensive captain and middle linebacker for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was selected All-Pro and performed in the 1981 Super Bowl. LeClair says about Mosher, “He inspired me to never give up and pursue my dreams.”

Another of Mosher’s star wrestlers, Paul Kuznik, a two-time state champion and four-time state placewinner, says, “He was a role model that young men could look up to and follow. Rod shaped the lives of thousands of wrestlers that used the skill-sets that he taught us on the wrestling mat and to be productive citizens in society.”

Mosher served as a wrestling official for 20 years. In addition he was active in 4-H, a volunteer fireman in Beltrami, Minnesota, a member of the church council, Vice President of Beltrami City Council, a member of the Cenex Board of Directors, and in the U.S. Marine Corp for two years.

Beyond his many specific wrestling honors, Mosher was honored as an Outstanding Alumnus at Northwest School of Agriculture. He is also a member of the University of Minnesota-Crookston Athletic Hall of Fame.

Mosher has been a longtime farmer and retired in 2001. He was married in 1958 to Judy Ward. Judy and Rodney have four sons who all became top-notch wrestlers. The youngest of the four, Kory, won two national champion titles while attending the University of North Dakota. He is now a top sales and marketing professional. The oldest, Bradley, is a commodity buyer extraordinaire and enjoys his time on the North Dakota Growers Association board. Next in line, Bruce, is a successful entrepreneur, known worldwide for his incredible inventions. The late Kent Mosher was a charming, charismatic, and successfully witty businessman whom is missed greatly. Rod and Judy also have eight grandchildren whom they enjoy spending time with.

Northwestern Minnesota Wrestling is better due to the many efforts of this great coach and friend to wrestling!