Steve Techam

When your work is your passion you look forward to being a part of it every chance you get. That best describes what Steve Techam feels about wrestling. Steve's passion for wrestling began when he wrestled for Hopkins High School in the 1960's under National Hall of Fame Coach Paul Bengston. After high school graduation, Steve attended the University of Minnesota where he took part in the Intramural Wrestling Tournaments. Steve graduated from Bemidji State College in 1968 with a degree in Social Studies. In 1969 Steve was hired by the Verndale School District to teach Junior High Social Studies. There was not a wrestling program at Verndale so Steve introduced wrestling to the Verndale athletic program, and remained the head coach of the Verndale Pirates until 1980. That year the Pirates paired with the Bertha-Hewitt Bears. The new consolidated wrestling team became the BerthaHewitt-Verndale Raiders. Techam remained in that coaching position until his retirement from coaching in 2007. Techam returned to coach the Raiders for the 2013-2014 season, leading the team to the State Wrestling Tournament. He ended his coaching career with an impressive coaching record of 400-178-8. As well as serving as a head coach, Steve was a Section 6A Coaches Representative to the Minnesota State High School League in 1990 until 2010. In 2000 Steve became the coordinator for the Section 6A wrestling tournament and remains in that position today. His role as the coordinator means he hires officials for the tournaments, answers coaches questions and takes the coaches suggestions on how to run better tournaments to members of the section committee. Throughout his coaching career, Steve has received many honors all due to the hard work of his assistant coaches and the young men and women who he coached. He was named Park Region Conference "Coach of the Year" in 1983,1984, 1985, 1987, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2007. Steve was named section 6A "Coach of the Year" in 1999, 2000 and 2001. In 2001, Steve was named State Class A "Coach of the Year" and his team ended up as State Runner-Ups at the State Meet. In 2002 Steve helped coach Minnesota high school wrestlers in the former Minnesota vs Wisconsin All-Star Wrestling Classic. Beginning in 2001, Steve also served as a chaperone to the Minnesota wrestlers traveling to Virginia Beach for the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) tournament. In 2005 Steve was inducted into the Dave Bartelma-Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Steve states that his greatest honor was seeing the success of his wrestlers. Marshall Rach, Joeb Oyster, Casey Finck and Zach Lambert won State Championships. Steve Carlson went on to become a National Junior College National Champion. Jim Carlson, Bill Wagner, Joe Kern and Jake Oyster went on to be head wrestling coaches. The lasting relationships built between himself and his wrestlers has been one of his greatest rewards. Outside of wrestling Steve has been active in the communities of Deer Creek and Wadena. Steve served on the Wadena-Deer Creek School Board, from 2008 to 2016, and served as the board chairperson. He is an active member of the Deer Creek Lions, receiving the "Melvin Jones Award." He is active in his church and is a substitute teacher and bus driver at the Verndale School, driving the wrestling buses to their events. Wrestling was and is not only part of Steve's life, but also his families. His wife of 53 years, Kathy served as a scorekeeper for the team. His daughter Lori also helped out with score keeping, and daughter Melissa (Lance Westerlund) was a wrestling cheerleader. Granddaughter Olivia was at a number of Grandpa's wrestling matches, cheering him on. Congratulations to 2021 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Minnesota Chapter Honoree Steve Techam.

Awards:

Year
2021
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Minnesota

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