Fred Kemp was born and raised in Carmel, NY. In high school, Fred wrestled, played football, baseball, and track. His wrestling career began in Junior high when he was encouraged by the varsity football coach and friends to wrestle to improve his football game. In High School, Fred earned all-league, all division, and all-state honors his junior and senior years. After graduation, he wrestled for SUNY Delhi and Hofstra University where he was a 3X National Qualifier and earned All-Conference and All-American honors. He earned his undergraduate and MBA at Hofstra. His final season was cut short when he suffered a season ending injury with seconds left in a match versus Dan Gable. After college, working for Exxon-Mobil, Fred became involved in coaching in 1980 at the urging of his boss who was the school board president of the Reading MA School District. From 1980-1984 Fred was the Assistant Coach and helped Reading HS to 4 conference titles, 4 top 5 state large school finishes with a 114-5 dual meet record. The team also produced 8 state champs, and 20 state placers.

In 1984, career advancement required a relocation to Pittsford, NY to become a marketing manager for the Hefty Brand. In 1985, Fred became the assistant coach at Pittsford HS and served in that role until 2000 when he was elevated to head coach. During his tenure he helped build a struggling program to a top 20 state large school program by founding and coaching the Pittsford Wrestling Club (Youth feeder program) and the Gold Force WC (HS, F/S, Greco, National Team Program). He grew the PWC to 100 members and expanded the Gold Force WC to 4 training locations and 250 members. The club was one of the top USAW clubs in NY winning the NY USAW Club Cup numerous times. The club helped produce many sectional champions, state qualifiers, 10 state champs, 24 state placers, 6 NHSAA All-Americans, 10 Fargo All Americans, and a Cadet Freestyle Champ.

In 2004 Fred relocated to Huntsville, AL to become the VP of Operations for Oral Arts Dental Laboratories and another opportunity to coach wrestling, this time at Huntsville HS working with coach Ben Balentine, and later coach Pat Harris. Fred has served as assistant or head coach at Huntsville HS from 2004 to present. In addition to his HS coaching, Fred has also been involved with coaching and the operations of the Huntsville Youth Wrestling Organization (aka HYWO) since 2006.

The program has consistently finished each season as a top 10 state 7A team and, recently a top 3 7A state team. This season (2022/2023) the HHS Panthers captured the 7A State Dual Meet crown. Since Fred’s arrival, the program has produced 17 state champions, numerous state placers, and 6 HS All-Americans.

In addition to his HS coaching, Fred was a volunteer assistant wrestling coach for American University from 2006 -2017 working with Coach Mark Cody and at Binghamton University working with his former HS wrestlers Kyle and Jasen Borshoff 2018-2020.

During his high school and college coaching tenure, Fred also served on the USA Wrestling State Board of Directors for over 30 years.

Fred was inducted to the Eastern Region College Wrestling Hall of Fame March 1, 1980, the Carmel HS (NY) Sports Hall of Fame - Wrestling/Football/Track, Oct 2, 2010, and received the T. Robert Justice Award in recognition for outstanding service to HS Wrestling in Western NY. Feb. 1997.

Fred was also active in the Pittsford, NY youth sports programs serving on the baseball, football and wrestling board of directors, as well as holding the head coaching responsibilities for each sport, working with his sons, Scott and Chris. Both wrestled for Pittsford HS, Scott taking his talents in Lacrosse to Nazareth College and Chris went on to wrestle for West Virginia. Both are successful leaders in the business community.

Fred has a great passion for the sport of wrestling and the benefits the sport provides to young athletes as they prepare for the opportunities and challenges, they will face in their future endeavors. Fred believes that the success he has enjoyed in the business world is 98% attributed to the lessons learned from the sport of wrestling. It is the reason he gets great joy from working with young athletes helping them achieve their goals and developing a winning mindset.