Richard Voliva

October 18, 1912 - November 02, 1999

Every university welcomes home-grown talent. So when Indiana was building a wrestling power in the early 1930s, it was happy to find a young state champion, Dick Voliva, right at home in Bloomington.

As a sophomore he was a member of the Hoosier team that claimed the 1932 NCAA championship, first ever for a Big Ten school.

He amassed individual honors the next two years, reaching the national finals in '33 and winning both Big Ten and NCAA titles as a senior, closing with a 48-4 record. He also starred in football, and as a senior was presented a special award for bringing honor and distinction to his university.

As a high school and college wrestler, Voliva had competed in Freestyle, winning several regional tournaments and in 1932 reaching the National AAU finals. During a two-year term as graduate assistant at Ohio State, he placed third in 1935 and captured the national title in 1936. Then, in the Olympics at Berlin, he earned a silver medal at 174 pounds.

On returning from the Olympics, he joined the faculty at Montclair State in New Jersey and soon launched a wrestling program there, serving as coach until World War II brought a four-year interruption. He had been commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army upon graduation in 1934, and during active duty he rose in rank to lieutenant colonel.

Voliva returned to New Jersey in 1946, but at the state university, Rutgers. He coached there for 25 years, guiding his teams to 148 victories against 85 losses and eight draws. He was a leader among his colleagues, serving five years on the NCAA rules committee, two of them as chairman. He was president of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

As a wrestler of outstanding achievement and as an example of sportsmanship and leadership throughout a long and illustrious coaching career, Richard Lawrence Voliva is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
2019
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
New Jersey
Year
1984
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All American Awards:

Season
1934
School
Indiana
Tournament
Division I
Weight
175
Place
1
Season
1933
School
Indiana
Tournament
Division I
Weight
175
Place
2

College Season Records:

Season
1934
School
Indiana
Class
Senior
Bouts
12
Wins
12
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
100
Place
1st
Season
1933
School
Indiana
Class
Junior
Bouts
0
Wins
0
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
0
Place
2nd
Season
Career
Bouts
12
Wins
12
Losses
0
Ties
0
Falls
0
Win PCT.
100

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
1969
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
5
Losses
8
Ties
0
Win PCT.
38.46
Season
1968
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
5
Losses
4
Ties
1
Win PCT.
50
Season
1967
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
8
Wins
2
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
25
Season
1966
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
5
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
55.56
Season
1965
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
6
Losses
3
Ties
1
Win PCT.
60
Season
1964
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
6
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1963
School
Rutgers
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
7
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
70
Season
1962
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
11
Wins
8
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
72.73
Season
1961
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
13
Wins
10
Losses
2
Ties
1
Win PCT.
76.92
Season
1960
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
12
Wins
7
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
58.33
Season
1959
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
10
Wins
8
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1958
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
9
Wins
7
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
1957
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
9
Wins
5
Losses
3
Ties
1
Win PCT.
55.56
Season
1956
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
9
Wins
7
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
1955
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
9
Wins
7
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
1954
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
9
Wins
6
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1953
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
8
Wins
2
Losses
5
Ties
1
Win PCT.
25
Season
1952
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
8
Wins
4
Losses
3
Ties
1
Win PCT.
50
Season
1951
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
8
Wins
7
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
87.5
Season
1950
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
9
Wins
7
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
1949
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
8
Wins
5
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
62.5
Season
1948
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
11
Wins
9
Losses
1
Ties
1
Win PCT.
81.82
Season
1947
School
Rutgers
Division
Duals
8
Wins
7
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
87.5
Season
Career
Duals
220
Wins
142
Losses
71
Ties
7
Win PCT.
64.55

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