Keith Allen Bassham is recognized for his years of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in young people through the sport wrestling.

• -5 time Oregon Junior National coach.
• -Coached 1993 Oregon classic champions.
• Coached 8 state champions (3 folkstyle, 2 freestyle, 2 Greco Roman)

Coach Bassham started his wrestling coaching career in 1979 when he accepted an assistant position at Lewis & Clark College. After one year he was named head coach at Hood River Valley High School where his record was an outstanding 170-103-2, winning the Tri-Valley league championship three times. In 1996, Keith changed positions and became the middle school coach . In 2007 he became the high school athletic director and retired in 2016.

High school coaching was not the only thing that occupied Keith’s time as he found time to officiate and in 2002 was named Official of the Year. He has been very active with USA Wrestling being team leader and coach for the Oregon Junior National Teams and in 1993 through the Cultural Exchange program took an Oregon team to compete in New Zealand.

For his dedication and lasting influence on wrestling, Keith Bassham is presented the National Wrestling Hall of Fame‘s “Lifetime Service to Wrestling“ award for the class of 2008.