Dr. J. Ken Shelton was already one of the great wrestling coaches in Virginia when he founded the wrestling program at Northside High School in 1962.

During a four-year span from 1967-70, he led the Vikings to three state 1-B or Group AA wrestling team titles and a runner-up finish. Shelton coached 11 individual Virginia state champions at Northside and his team won 63 consecutive dual meets, a school record that still stands.

Shelton left after the 1970 season to become the head wrestling coach at The Citadel, a position he held until his retirement in 1992. After retiring as the wrestling coach, he remained at the military college as a consultant to the program while also continuing his role as an associate professor in educational psychology.

His teams at The Citadel didn't win any conference titles, but did have 13 individual conference champions in the last 12 years before he retired.

 Shelton's influence on wrestling in the Roanoke Valley has continued nearly a quarter of a century after he left. When the Virginia High School League moved the Group AA and A state tournaments to Salem in 1994, Shelton returned to be honored and to present trophies. 

Many of the Roanoke Valley area officials wrestled under Shelton at Northside, including Ron Childress, Gary Davidson, Greg Deacon, Pete Minton, Stan Parker, Rick Schilling and Mike Winston.

His successor at Northside, Larry Hall manages the VSHL A/AA state tournament at the Salem Civic Center. Shelton also had a tremendous impact and influence on other coaches, most notably Mark Agner, who wrestled at Northside and The Citadel before coaching Botetourt High School, and Glenvar High School coach Dickie Myers.

Shelton also left his mark on Northside and Roanoke County's education system. Working with Northside principal Donna Henderson and Roanoke County Schools director of administration Jim Gallion, Shelton helped create the guidance department at Northside in the late 1960s. Northside Assistant Principal Allen Journell wrestled for Shelton.

Shelton also was head football coach of the Vikings for two years and was an assistant for the other six years from 1962-70. As head coach, he won the Blue Ridge District twice. Because there was not a state playoff during his tenure, his teams did not get to play for a state title. 

He and his wife Lee have two children, Jim Shelton and Angela Blalock, who both reside in Charleston.