Mike is being inducted into the Lifetime Service category which only considers contribution after the competitive career…but Mike was a stud on the mat and you don’t know Mike without knowing his competitive spirit. He was the 1988 state champ at 152lbs from Hunters Lane. He was ’87 and ’88 Mid-State Wrestler of the Year and won the USA Southeast Regional Freestyle Champ those two years. He went on to be a 4-yr starter on four Southern Conference championship teams at UTC where he was a 4-time finalist.

Mike, like Tommy, is making history tonight by joining his Hall of Fame father, Doug Newman (2009), as the first father/son tandem members. Mike could ‘shoot the half’ but he was pretty good on his feet too.

Mike just finished his 30th season on the McCallie coaching staff-which contains nothing but excellence-past, present, and future Hall of Famers. Whether Mike was being guided by inaugural Hall of Fame class member Gordon Connell or helping to guide a new crop of young talented coaches and wrestlers, Mike was able to navigate the situations due to his lack of ego. He is comfortable in the driver’s seat or the passenger’s seat-whatever happens to be best for the team at the time.

McCallie pulled off the Traditional and Duals double TSSAA state championship this February to go along with the 2003 and 2006 Duals championship. Mike earned the TN Assistant Coach of the Year in 2007, has coached 42 individual state champions, and 11 National Prep All-Americans. He has been a TACA Wrestling Committee member for 12 years. Mike has committed himself to wrestling his whole life, but he is also committed to the community and church with ties to St. Judes, the Breast Cancer Association and the Community Kitchen. Put you hands together for the former high school FCA Athlete of the Year…Mike Newman