Tadaaki Hatta came to the United States from Tokyo, Japan in 1961 and became an NCAA champion, two-time All-American and two-time Big Eight champion for Oklahoma State University. He helped OSU win NCAA titles in 1964 and 1966 while finishing second in 1965.

Hatta has taught and coached wrestling at every level, from youth clubs to the Olympics.

He was on the U.S. men’s freestyle coaching staff for the Olympics in 1988, 1992 and 1996 and the World Championships from 1979 to 1995. He coached the Japanese Olympic team in 1968 and 1984 and the Mexican Olympic team in 1972. Hatta was on the coaching staff for the U.S. Women’s team for the 2004 Olympics, the first Olympics where women competed in wrestling, and returned to the 2008 Olympics as volunteer head coach of the U.S. Women’s team.

He was also the head coach of the 1998 Men’s Cadet World Team, the 1999 Women’s Cadet World Team, the Women’s Junior World Team in 2001 and 2002 and the 2002 Women’s University Team. Hatta works with the New York Athletic Club women’s team and also volunteers with Cleveland Beat the Streets.

He is also an assistant coach for the St. Ignatius High School rugby team, which won the high school national championship and the Ohio state championship in 2022.

Hatta is also a consultant for the St. Ignatius wrestling team and for Nike Wrestling.

He was an art teacher, wrestling coach and trainer from 1972-2011 at high schools in Ohio, including Oberlin High School, Ravenna High School, St. Edward High School, St. Ignatius High School and Walsh Jesuit High School.

He graduated from Oklahoma State with a bachelor’s degree in fine art in 1966 and then earned a master’s degree in art from Northwestern University.

Three of his paintings and a sculpture are displayed at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame while one of his ink drawings is part of the OSU Museum of Art’s permanent collection.

Hatta received the Gallagher Award from Oklahoma State wrestling in 2019 and was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni by the Oklahoma State College of Arts & Sciences in 2022.

An honorary member of the Chickasaw Nation, he also restores statues at Cleveland churches pro bono and recently completed a portrait of his father to commemorate the 90th anniversary of wrestling at Waseda University, commissioned by wrestling alumni it will hang in the school’s wrestling room.